California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball coach Darcie Vincent isn't filling the heads of her players with too many glowing facts about top-ranked and undefeated Delta State.

"The less we tell the kids, sometimes, that's beneficial," said Vincent, who is taking California (27-6) to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the third time in her eight seasons as head coach and the first time since 2004 when it won the national championship.

California will play Delta State Wednesday in Kearney, Neb.

"We have a bunch of young thoroughbreds, but the only experience we have is the coaching staff," she said. "We're trying to keep it that we're a low-key team and we're not hyping it up."

Delta State, a storied program that was a pioneer in women's basketball back in the 1970s, is 32-0 with a winning margin of nearly 21 points per game.

"We don't talk about being No. 1 or being undefeated," Delta State coach Sandra Rushing said. "All records go out in the tournament."

Delta State has won six national championships -- AIAW titles in 1975-77 under Margaret Wade and Division II titles in 1989-90 and '92 under Lloyd Clark. This is the 11th trip to the Elite Eight for the Lady Statesmen and first since 2000.

"We know all about Delta State and what they've meant to women's college basketball," said Vincent, 35, a former standout player at Duquesne and the first female inducted in the university's Athletic Hall of Fame. "We're trying to take this game in stride."

The teams are a contrast in styles.

Delta State uses 11 players between 9.0 and 29.2 minutes per game and allows 50.8 points to rank second nationally.

California, whose roster has been reduced to eight players because of injuries, has a six-player rotation and is 11th in Division II in scoring with a 77.6 average. The Vulcans generate much of their offense from a pressuring defense that produces 15.4 turnovers per game to rank second in Division II. Brooque Williams is second with 3.8 steals per game and Crystal Andrews is tied for fifth at 3.7.

In order to run a full scrimmage in practice, California has added volleyball players Amanda Evans and Katie Benick to the roster.

California has only one returning starter from last year's NCAA team, 6-foot junior Lindsay Johnson who was the tournament MVP and was the catalyst in an 86-71 victory against Shepherd in the final of the East Region. The Vulcans are led in scoring by Williams (18.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg); Crystal Andrews (10.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.3 apg), a transfer from Pitt-Johnstown; and Shaquette Mance (10.3 ppg).

"The first thing we have to do is take care of the basketball," Vincent said. "It seems like every other week we're having to do something different [because of injuries]. Things just kept difficult for us, but we're still standing."