The Oglethorpe women's basketball team received an at-large bid from the selection committee for the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Monday afternoon. The Stormy Petrels will play in the 64-team event for the second consecutive season.

The Petrels head to Lexington, Kentucky, to take on Chicago in the first round on Friday. The Maroons enter the tournament as the 22nd-ranked team in the latest D3hoops.com top 25. They finished the season 19-6 and tied for second in a stout University Athletic Association (UAA), which got three teams into the tournament field. They'll take on an Oglethorpe team that finished the season 22-6 and came in second in the SAA. The Petrels come off a 56-41 loss to Rhodes in the SAA Tournament championship Sunday in Jackson, Mississippi, while Chicago lost 67-52 to Washington (Missouri) in the final game of their regular season on Saturday. (The UAA does not play a conference tournament.)

The winner of the Oglethorpe-Chicago game will advance to the second round to take on the winner of the other Friday game between host Transylvania and Piedmont. The second-round matchup would take place on Saturday in Lexington. 

This marks the sixth visit to the NCAA tournament for the Oglethorpe women's basketball program. It's also the fourth time they've earned an at-large bid to the tournament field.