HUTCHINSON, Kan., November 8, 2017 – The Monroe College women's volleyball team is back in the NJCAA Division I National Championship Tournament after defeating Spartanburg Methodist College to earn the 2017 District P Championship. The Mustangs make the National Tournament for the second straight season, this time qualifying as the No. 12 seed in the 16-team bracket. Monroe will open the tournament weekend against No. 5 Hill College on Thursday, Nov. 16.
 
Hill College was ranked No. 6 in the final NJCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Rankings released on Oct. 24. The Mustangs last played Hill College as part of the Blinn College Tournament on Sept. 10, 2016. Monroe claimed a 3-1 victory over the Rebels in the final match of the tournament.
 
Monroe's path to a National Championship will require the Mustangs to win four matches in Hutchinson, Kan. Should they defeat Hill, they would then play the winner of No. 4 Western Nebraska vs. New Mexico Military later on Thursday in the quarterfinal round. The semifinals will take place on Friday, Nov. 17, with the National Championship Match set for Saturday, Nov. 18.
 
The Mustangs have enjoyed a strong season, currently holding a 20-9 overall record and coming in as the No. 20-ranked team in the NJCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Rankings. Monroe won its seventh straight Region Championship when the Mustangs took down Harford Community College, 3-0. The win moved the Mustangs on to the District P Championship, which they won on the road at Spartanburg.
 
The Mustangs will spend the next week preparing for the National Championship Tournament before heading to Hutchinson, Kan. ahead of their first match next Thursday. All matches can be seen live on NJCAATV.com.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's rugby, and the newly added club women's rugby team, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, will have six teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level beginning in the fall of 2017.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe College Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs), and follow Mustang women's volleyball on Instagram (@monroecollege_wvb).