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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The No. 7-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team has arrived in Michigan for this weekend's 2017 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Weekend, as the Captains (29-2) will make the program's second ever appearance in the National Semifinals. CNU is set to face off against top-ranked and undefeated Amherst College (31-0) on Friday night in the second game, at 7:30 pm, hosted by Calvin College. 

Head coach Bill Broderick has lifted the Captains back to the Final Four for the first time since 2011 and only the second time in program history. The Captains are riding a nine-game winning streak, including a pair against Top 20 programs in last weekend's Sectional Round to earn the trip to Grand Rapids. 

"There are only four teams left in the country playing; it's quite an honor," said head coach Bill Broderick. "It's something special. It's something that I'll never forget, but more importantly, something that the ladies will never forget. That said, this is still a business trip for us and we're not just happy to be here."

The other two teams playing for a chance to play in Saturday night's National Championship Game are No. 2 St. Thomas and No. 4 Tufts, who will tip at 5:00 pm on Friday night, just before the Captains' semifinal bout with the Purple and White. 

CNU and Amherst have only played once before, when the Massachusetts-based team defeated the Captains in the team's only other Final Four appearance in 2011. CNU then advanced to beat Illinois Wesleyan in the consolation game to finish out the 2011 season with a program-best finish and a 30-4 record. The national consolation game has since been eliminated. 

The Captains have a busy day planned Thursday at Calvin College as CNU will take part in a press conference, community service outreach clinic with the Special Olympics, and the team's final tune-up before Friday's game. The four teams will then gather in the evening for the national championship banquet where the NCAA and Women's Basketball Coaches' Association will announce end-of-year awards. After the banquet, the student-athletes will point their focus to the Final Four action on Friday night, with all four teams eyeing a shot at the 2017 title on Saturday at 7:30 pm. 

Making the program's 18th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Captains have now advanced at least as far as the Sweet 16 in six straight tournament appearances. In five seasons under head coach Bill Broderick, the Captains are 11-3 in tournament play, advancing to a pair of Sweet 16's, an Elite Eight, and now a Final Four appearance. On Monday, Broderick was named the Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year according to D3hoops.com, becoming the first CNU head coach to capture the honor. Junior Sam Porter was also tabbed a second team All-Region selection by D3hoops.com after helping lead the Captains to the team's first CAC Championship in 2016-17. 

Amherst is appearing in the program's seventh NCAA National Semifinal, including their second straight. The Purple and White are in the midst of a ten-year streak of NCAA Tournament appearances, all under head coach G.P. Gromacki. Leaning on the nation's most elite defense, Amherst is 61-2 over the last two seasons, holding opponents to 40 or fewer points in 32 of those 63 games. Amherst ranks No. 1 nationally in scoring defense (40.0 ppg) and opponent field goal percentage (.288), and features a veteran core of players led by senior twin sisters Ali and Meredith Doswell. Both players earned All-Region accolades while Ali was named the Northeast Region Player of the Year. 

For fans who are able to make it to the Van Noord Arena for Friday and Saturday night's action, ticket information can be found on the tournament website linked above. For fans hoping to watch the action online, links to live stats and a live video webcast will also be available above. Press conferences, including Thursday's pre-game interaction with the media and the post-game media Q&A's, will be available online shortly after they are completed.