CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA --- On Friday evening, the Howard women's soccer team will play its first-ever match in the NCAA Tournament when the Bison take on No. 1 seed Virginia at 6 p.m. at UVA's Klöckner Stadium.

FAST FACTS: HOWARD VS NO. 1 VIRGINIA
- Howard makes its debut in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament for the second consecutive year and the first time with the SWAC's automatic bid in play. The Bison - the No. 4 seed in the tournament - advanced past No. 5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-0), No. 1 Mississippi Valley State (1-1; 4-3 on PK) and No. 3 Alabama State (2-1) to earn the league crown and the Tournament berth.
- Five players were named to the SWAC All-Tournament team after Howard's victory: freshman defenders Zakiya Muhammad & Kendall Hamilton, freshman goalkeeper Mackenzie Diotte, junior midfielder Sara Vaughan and senior midfielder Dytria Ruddy, who was named Tournament MVP.
- Offensively, the Bison are led by sophomore forward Kela Gray, who ranks in the Top 10 nationally in goals (17, 7th), points (41, 8th). As a collective, Howard ranks second in total goals (67) & total points (181) and third in scoring offense (3.05 goals/game). Fellow SWAC member Mississippi Valley State leads the nation in all three categories; the No. 2 team ahead of Howard in scoring offense: Virginia (3.26). Thirteen players have logged goals for Howard this season, including three double-digit goal scorers: Gray, senior forward Rasheeda Ansari (10);andsophomore midfielder/forward Whitney White (10), who leads the team in assists (8), game-winning goals (4) and penalty kick goals (2 for 3).
- On the defensive side, Howard has been strong all year, earning eight of its school-record 13 wins via shutout and posting a 1.28 goals against average. Much of Howard's defensive success can be attributed to the freshmen duo of Diotte & Hamilton. Both players were All-SWAC Selections, with Hamilton earning First Team honors and Diotte being named to the Second Team.
- Besides Diotte and Hamilton, three other players earned All-SWAC accolades: Gray (First Team), Ansari (Second Team) and Vaughan (Second Team).
- Virginia comes into the NCAA Tournament as an established national force in women's soccer. The Cavaliers are one of four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, joining Stanford, Penn State and reigning national champion Florida State. UVA (16-1-2) won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season title after going 9-1 in league action and fell in a shootout in the ACC Tournament Championship to Florida State.
- UVA is led by a pair of nationally prominent players: forward Makenzy Doniak and defender Emily Sonnett. Doniak earnedACC Offensive Player of the Yearhonors after scoring logging 10 goals and 10 assists this season, while Sonnett earned espnW National Player of the Year & ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

TICKET/PARKING INFO (VIA UVA WEBSITE)
-Tickets for the game are $9 for reserved seats, $7 for adult general admission and $5 for youth/UVA students/senior citizen general admission. Fans can order tickets for the tournament online at VirginiaSports.com and by phone through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office at 800-542-UVA1 (8821) or 434-924-UVA1 (8821). Tickets are also available at the gate beginning one hour prior to the start of play.
-Free public parking will be available in the Emmet/Ivy Garage. The Virginia men's basketball team hosts Morgan State at 7 p.m. on Friday, so the John Paul Jones Arena and University Hall parking lots are reserved for men's basketball permit holders.