Maryland's Toliver Looks Forward to Down Time After Busy Season, Summer
7/14/2006 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
July 14, 2006
By Sam Angell
Media Relations Student Assistant
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - It's been more than three months since the Terps toppled Duke, 78-75, in overtime in the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship game, and Kristi Toliver is ready to finally get some well-deserved rest - or at least it feels that way.
"This will be the first time in a long time that I've just been able to relax" said Toliver, who recently completed courses in the first of two summer sessions at the University of Maryland.
Indeed, it's been a whirlwind ride for Toliver and the Terps since winning the program's first national championship in April. They were celebrated locally at the State House and on campus, as well as at Baltimore Orioles, Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics games. They were recognized nationally at the White House, along with fellow Terrapin champions in field hockey and men's soccer. Finally, they were honored internationally during a two-week tour of Europe that saw them go up against some of that continent's top talent. And as soon as she came home, it was time for Toliver to hit the books.
"As soon as we got back from Europe, I started classes," said the point guard who is just finishing her freshman year. "I just had to try to catch up on my sleep and get ready for classes with the six hour time difference. I knew it was going to be a six-week grind."
In addition to everything else, Toliver has worked at the basketball camps hosted by the team at Comcast Center.
"We usually coach one of the teams and go through drills with them," Toliver explained. "We're around during camp all the time. Knowing that they're some of our biggest fans just makes it good to give back to them."
The hectic pace has been nothing new for Toliver.
"During high school, I played AAU ball all summer long, so I can't remember the last time I really had a summer off." She'll be getting a little breather now, with plans to visit family and the beach before returning to campus next month.
Of course, there really is no rest for a defending national champion.
"The expectation, obviously, is to repeat," Toliver said. "All last year, we were trying to earn respect, and we did that by winning it all. You earn respect by winning games so we just have to continue to do that. We want to win the ACC and the national championship this year - that's greedy, but that's where the bar has been set for us."
Despite the packed summer schedule, the point guard has found time to focus on improving herself for next season.
"I've been lifting and working on my shot while I've been here," she explained, "but when I go home and don't have to worry about school, I'm going to focus on conditioning and fundamental things."
While Toliver is already looking forward to another season, it's been hard for her to avoid one topic in particular - "The Shot." Her high-arching shot over the lunging Duke center, Alison Bales, with just six seconds remaining, sending the championship game into overtime, catapulted Toliver to instant celebrity status.
"That's come up every day of my life since then," Toliver said with a smile. "People come up and congratulate me or ask to play some one-on-one. But my biggest thrill is just being able to come to Comcast Center and play against teams like Tennessee and North Carolina, and all the teams in the ACC. Making a shot like that was just icing on the cake."
One last honor awaits for the Terps, as they will appear on Sunday night's ESPY Awards Show on ESPN as a nominee for "Best Team of the Year." Although she didn't cast any votes herself, Toliver remarked that her roommate took care of that.
"Just being nominated is a great thing for the program and the school, something I never even thought about happening," she said.
Just a quarter of the way through her Maryland career, Toliver took one last look back and couldn't help but smile as she reviewed her freshman year.
"It's been everything I expected and more," she said with a grin. "It's been full of excitement and challenges, both basketball and otherwise. I need to soak all this up because I'll need that experience next year."
