April 12, 2000
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV women's basketball team has received a national letter of intent from Petra Gl?ser, head coach Regina Miller announced Wednesday.
Gl?ser, 18, is a native of Amtsberg, Germany, and signed with UNLV on the first day of the spring signing period. She is a 6-6 post player and will enroll at UNLV as a freshman next fall.
"Petra is a great addition to our program, and I expect her to have an immediate impact," Miller said. "She brings good size, athleticism and experience for an incoming freshman to the post. We lacked a true post player last year, and I am confident that Petra will help fill that void."
Last season, Gl?ser attended Sportgymnasium Chemnitz and played basketball for BG Chemnitz, the club team in her area. She averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds per game, shooting 56 percent from the field and 88 percent from the line. She led her club to a 17-9 record and a third-place finish in Germany's first division, the top women's basketball league in the country. The team's third-place finish was the best finish in club history and earned them their first-ever postseason appearance in a European tournament.
Gl?ser was also honored with her selection to the German U-20 Junior National Team, which will compete in the European Championships in August. She also practices and is a member of the development squad for the German Senior National Team that features Lady Rebel star Linda Fr?hlich.
"Petra understands the game really well," Miller said. "And she has all the skills necessary to fit into whichever role we need her. She can play in the low post. She is a good passer and has tremendous shooting skills. She is a consistent and solid shooter from as far as 15 feet and has the ability to shoot the three-pointer as well. Her presence will enhance our team's chances for achieving its goal of a conference championship."
Academically, Gl?ser is a good student with scholar-athlete potential. She plans to major in either business or communications at UNLV. She was one of only five athletes honored by the Saxony Economy for excellence in athletics and academics.
Gl?ser joins Padra Strong, who signed during the early signing period last fall, in the Lady Rebels' 2000 recruiting class. Strong is a 6-4 post player from Fayetteville, N.C., and will attend UNLV as a freshman next year. Both Gl?ser and Strong, along with 6-3 junior transfer Viveca L?f, will add considerable size and depth to the Lady Rebels' front line next year.
"This recruiting class makes us one of the tallest and most athletic teams in the league," Miller said. "We not only add size to our front line, but depth, and that will enable us to play a variety of lineups and use a variety of game plans. We can go big and strong or small and quick and find which plan will create the mismatches we are looking for in the defense."
