Nov. 12, 2004

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland head women's basketball coach Brenda Frese has secured two of the nation's top recruits. High school seniors Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at the University of Maryland beginning the 2005-06 season. The signing of the talented pair has garnered a No. 4 national ranking among recruiting classes by the Blue Star Report. It is the second-consecutive year Maryland has signed a top-five recruiting class.

"I am extremely proud of the continued work of our staff in securing back-to-back top-five recruiting classes," said Frese. "This class allows us to continue to elevate and push this program to unprecedented heights. We are so fortunate to not only bring in great talent into this program but also quality student-athletes to represent our University."

A native of Cheltenham, Md., Coleman was named an All-American by several publications, including Parade, Street & Smith's and USA Today. Rated the No. 2 wing player in the country by All Star Girls Report (ASGR) and the No. 3 overall senior recruit by Blue Star Report, she was a member of the 2004 USA Juniors squad that won gold at the Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, this summer. At 6-foot-1, Coleman was selected Washington, D.C.'s Gatorade Player of the Year and first team All-Met in 2004. She was also listed as a USA Today Super 25 in 2003. At St. John's High School, she averaged 18.5 points and 11 rebounds per game during her junior year.

"We are extremely excited to be able to continue to keep our local talent here with the signing of Marissa Coleman," said Frese. "We targeted Marissa three years ago when we came on board at Maryland. She is a big, strong guard who can rebound, score and defend against anyone and will be fun to watch. She is extremely competitive and will come in and challenge immediately from the strong forward and guard position."

Hailing from Harrisonburg High School, in Harrisonburg, Va., Toliver brings playmaking and scoring to the point guard position. Rated the 13th overall recruit in the country by Blue Star and No. 5 among point guards in the country by ASGR, Toliver was named a fourth team All-American by Street & Smith's. Measuring 5-8, she was selected 2004 AP AA Virginia Player of the Year and was a first team all-state honoree the last two seasons. Averaging 32 points, six rebounds and five assists per game as a junior, she was also a member of the USA Youth Development Festival East Team in 2004.

"Kristi is going to make an immediate impact on our team from the point-guard position. She is extremely versatile and can do it all - pass, score, rebound and defend. She is a proven winner and will do whatever it takes to put our team and our program in a position to be successful. Our fans are going to love watching Kristi play for the next four years."

This year's freshman class was rated the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation when newcomers Crystal Langhorne (Willingboro, N.J.), Laura Harper (Elkins Park, Md.), Jade Perry (Central City, Ky.) and Ashleigh Newman (Shelbyville, Tenn.) signed National Letters of Intent. The 2004-05 Terps have earned numerous preseason rankings, including a No. 12 rating by Athlon Magazine. The ESPN/USA Today and Associated Press Preseason Polls have Maryland listed 23rd in the nation.

The Terps open the season with an exhibition game on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. Maryland hits the road to officially open the season at Appalachian State on Friday, Nov. 19 then come home on Sunday, Nov. 21 for a 2 p.m. game vs. Siena.

Marissa Coleman (Cheltenham, Md./St. Johns)
6-1, Guard
Junior Year: 18.5ppg, 11rpg

US Junior National Team Gold Medal Winner at Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico (2004); USA Youth Development Festival East Team; Street & Smith All-American Second Team (2004); Parade All-American 4th Team (2004); Washington D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year (2004); First Team All-Met (2004); USA Today Super 25 (2003)

Kristi Toliver (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg)
5-8, Point Guard
Junior Year: 32ppg, 6rpg, 5apg

Fourth Team Street & Smith All-American (2004); AP AA Virginia Player of the Year (2004); AP AA First Team All-Virginia State (2003, 2004); USA Youth Development Festival East Team

-TERPS-