WAUKESHA, Wis. - For the first time in Carroll University women's basketball history and just the second time across all sports at the school, the Pioneers will be hosting an NCAA Tournament game. Carroll will open up their hospitality to their first round opponent, the University of Puget Sound, which is scheduled for an 8 p.m. tip, while also welcoming WashU and UW-Stout to Van Male Fieldhouse in Waukesha, Wis. Those two teams will play the first game on Friday at 5:30, followed by the Pios' first NCAA Tournament game since 2007. The winners of those two games will then play each other in the Regional Championship Game on Saturday at 8 p.m., which will also be held at Van Male Fieldhouse in Waukesha.

Ranked 19th in Division-III, Carroll (23-4) enters the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country, winning nine consecutive games and 18 of their last 19. That includes winning the CCIW Tournament at #12 Illinois Wesleyan over the weekend, while also finishing the regular season as co-champions of the CCIW. That marks the first time in school history that a sport has won both the conference regular season and tournament titles in the same season. Their 23 wins this season is a new school record, breaking the previous record of 22, which was established during the 2006-07 season.

The Pioneers boast one of the highest-octane offenses in Division-III this season, ranking ninth in the country in scoring offense (80.4 ppg), while also ranking second in 3-point percentage (.384), fourth in field goal percentage (.482), and sixth in assists (18.6 apg). There are just 26 teams in the country with better winning percentages this season than the Pios.

Individually, Carroll is led by junior guard Olivia Rangel, who was one of only two unanimous First Team All-Conference selections this season. A native of Franklin, Wis., Rangel is averaging 18.7 points per game, which ranks third in the CCIW and 49th in the country, becoming just the fourth player in program history to score more than 500 points in a season. She also ranks 23rd in the country with 4.9 assists per game, while also ranking 28th in made field goals (190). Fellow First Team All-Conference selection Natalie Gricius is a sophomore forward from Oconomowoc, Wis., who is coming off a career-high 31 points in Saturday's CCIW Tournament Championship Game. Gricius ranks seventh in the conference in scoring with 16.3 points per game. Carroll's third All-Conference selection this season is Emilie Wizner, who earned Second Team honors, leading all of D-III in 3-point percentage (.491). The sophomore from Germantown, Wis. has made 52 three-pointers this year, which is just eight shy of the single season school record.

Puget Sound enters Friday night's game with a 19-8 overall record, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Northwest Conference (NWC) Championship. The Loggers have won three games in a row and nine of their last 11. Puget Sound is averaging 67 points per game, which leads the NWC this season and ranks 127th in D-III. They rank in the top 50 in the country in blocked shots per game (4.5), steals per game (13.0), 3-pointers made per game (7.6), and turnovers forced per game (21.04). They are also shooting 38 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from 3-point range, and 72 percent from the free throw line.

The Loggers are led by Paige Gerhart's team-highs of 13.2 points, seven rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. She also ranks 67th in the country in steals per game (2.7), while her teammate Katie Minnehan is 22nd in the country with a conference-best 3.2 steals per contest. Autumn Hill is among the nation's leaders in blocked shots, averaging 2.5 per game, which ranks 21st in D-III.

Tickets for the NCAA Division-III Tournament First and Second Rounds are $15 for general admission and $10 for senior citizens, students, and children. Student tickets are permissible for grade school, high school, and college students with their student identification.