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WATERVILLE — Colby College is set to hold its commencement ceremony Sunday morning.

A dozen seniors on the school’s women’s lacrosse team are hoping they have other plans that day.

The team is in the NCAA Division III Final Four for the first time in program history, and the title game is scheduled for Sunday at noon in Salem, Virginia.

The Mules (17-3) will face nemesis Middlebury College (19-1) in a national semifinal game Friday at 4 p.m., also in Virginia. The winner will advance to the title game against either Tufts University or Gettysburg College.

At their final practice of the season Tuesday, the Colby seniors said they’d embrace a scheduling conflict.

“Every single person is so grateful that we’ve continued the season,” said Gennie Littlejohn, a senior attacker. “We’ve been working so hard over the last 3 ½ months. Honestly, it just means we get to spend another week together, and I don’t have to graduate yet.”

The Mules are a perennial contender, having reached the NCAA tournament in 14 of coach Karen Henning’s 18 seasons. Colby advanced to the national quarterfinals in the previous three seasons but failed to advance in each of them.

“What’s so exciting is the amount of work that this team has put in, not just this year, but the senior class over the four years,” Henning said. “This was a goal of theirs. You can work toward something, and it may never come to a reality, but they did everything they could, and they were going to walk away (from this season) having no regrets.”

Colby — which this spring set a program record for wins in a season — would also like to walk away with that elusive national title. And this year might be its best shot at accomplishing the feat, although three-time defending national champ Middlebury stands in the way.

On April 5, Colby nearly ended Middlebury’s 61-game winning streak, losing 12-11. Middlebury extended its streak to 67 games before losing to Wesleyan in the New England Small College Athletic Conference tournament semifinals. The NESCAC is considered the best conference in women’s Division III lacrosse.

“It just makes me so proud that they get to see the result (of their goal),” Henning said. “It doesn’t happen for everyone. Sometimes you think you’ve given everything you can, but you may have had more in the tank. For this group, I truly think they have pushed their limits and they’re going to fight for each other until the end. It doesn’t matter who is on that field.”

The seniors have played pivotal roles this season.

Senior midfielder Julia Jardina has 66 goals and 10 assists. Littlejohn has added 14 goals and 31 assists. Senior midfielder Ainsley Dion has scored 33 goals. Senior defenseman Kat Munter has collected 45 ground balls.

Despite the lofty numbers, the players credit their mental approach to the game as a reason for their success. Prior to every practice or game, the team stands in a circle and works through a mental visualization process of what it needs to achieve on the field. Game strategy is not discussed. The Mules credit Colby’s mental performance coach, Beaux Myers, with the routine.

“It’s all about the culture, and it starts with (Henning), and it starts with our coaches,” said Dion, who will be competing against her sister, Kelcey Dion, a senior attacker for Middlebury. “I feel how much they want (to win). But just this year, with the amount of work that they have put in for any given moment. … The mental part of the game these days is just as important as the physical. You see that in pro sports, and D-I sports, and that’s a huge benefit that we have that.”

The Mules have an added incentive heading into their semifinal appearance. The current group of Colby seniors has never defeated Middlebury.

“They’re the hungriest they’ve ever been,” Henning said. “I’m excited to see what they bring to Virginia.”