OMAHA, Neb. - UNO women's basketball head coach Chance Lindley has signed five recruits to national letters of intent to join the Mavericks in the 2011-12 season. 

Lindley made it a point of emphasis to recruit size in this year's class. The Mavs added two 6-4 post players and a 6-1 forward. Last year, UNO's two tallest players stood 6-1. The Mavs' class comprises three junior transfers and two freshmen.

"When we came here, we tried to identify some of the needs, and I think height and the post position were definitely glaring needs," Lindley said. "This class is going to bring some much-needed height, athleticism and some experience."

Chadron native Kelsie Lliteras, a 6-4 junior forward, transferred from North Carolina State and will sit out the 2011-12 season because of NCAA transfer rules. Lliteras played in 20 games for the Wolfpack last season, averaging 0.9 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. As a freshman, she played in the Wolfpack's NCAA Tournament game in 2010.

"We're excited because we get a free year with her to get her used to the staff and a new system," Lindley said. "She's got a great frame, good height and has played Division I basketball at the BCS level. We're expecting great things from her down the road."

Also at 6-4, freshman Taijhe Kelly played on one of the nation's top high school teams the past two seasons. A Carson, Calif., native, Kelly averaged 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for Long Beach Poly High School, which finished 25-3 last season and ranked eighth in the nation. As a junior, Kelly helped lead the Jackrabbits to a California state tournament runner-up finish and a No. 4 national ranking.

"Taijhe is definitely an athletic post presence with some height," Lindley said. "She's young and might be a little raw in some areas, but her best basketball days are ahead of her. She has a ton of upside, and we think she will be a big part of our program in the years to come."

Junior college transfer Zenta Liepa adds more size at 6-1. A Riga, Latvia native, Liepa played last season at Independence Community College in Kansas. Before that, she played one season at Logan College in Carterville, Ill. Liepa averaged 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds for the Lady Pirates last season, helping them to a 30-3 record and the Region VI semifinals.

"She brings age and experience coming from a junior college. She played for a great coach down at Independence, so she's been very well taught," Lindley said. "She's very versatile. She is a post, but she can also play on the perimeter. I think international kids bring a different style of basketball. It's always nice to have kids in the program who bring something different."

Lindley also added two versatile guards to the 2011-12 roster in junior Sherece Huddlin and freshman Cathleen Cox.

Huddlin, a junior college transfer, adds a strong rebounding presence from the guard position. The 5-10 Hartford, Conn., native played two seasons at Casper College in Wyoming before joining the Mavericks. She led the Thunderbirds to a 21-10 record and the Region IX tournament title in 2010-11. Huddlin averaged 9.6 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game, ranking 19th nationally in NJCAA Division I in rebounds per game. She also grabbed a team-high 152 offensive rebounds for an average of 5.4 per game to rank fourth nationally in that category.

"She's athletic and a tremendous defender," Lindley said. "She may not always be the tallest or the fastest person on the floor, but she has a knack for finding the basketball and a tremendous drive to compete. Rebounding is something she loves to do and that showed in her stats. She just competes and wants the ball."

Finally, Cox, a 5-9 freshman guard from Elkhorn, led the Antlers in scoring last season with 15 points per game and earned first-team all-state honors. She helped Elkhorn reach the Class B state championship game and played in various postseason all-star games. Cox was voted MVP of her team and the Warrior all-star game in her senior season.

"She is a very nice addition to the guards," Lindley said. "Offensively, I think she is going to help us. She's a good shooter from the perimeter and she's a great kid. As a staff, we know she is going to work hard for us every single game."

The 2011-12 UNO women's basketball schedule will be released next week.

2011-12 Women's Basketball Signees
Cathleen Cox
5-9, Freshman, Guard, Elkhorn, Neb.
Was a three-year captain and four-year letterwinner at Elkhorn...led the Antlers in scoring in her senior year with 15 points per game and was named team MVP...earned first-team all-state, all-conference and all-metro honors...led Elkhorn to a 22-2 record and a runner-up finish at the Class B state tournament...was selected to the Omaha Coaches Association and Nebraska Coaches Association all-star games...voted MVP of the Warrior all-star game...in her junior season, led Elkhorn to a third-place finish in the Class A state tournament...was named second-team all-state, first-team all-metro and first-team all-conference...earned first-team all-conference, honorable mention all-state and second-team all-metro honors after her sophomore season...earned all-conference honorable mention as a freshman...was also a standout on the Antlers' soccer team, helping the school win the 2008 Class B state championship as a freshman and earning second-team all-state honors as a junior...was a four-year National Honor Society member.

Sherece Huddlin
5-10, Junior, Guard, Hartford, Conn.
Played two seasons at Casper College in Wyoming...in 2010-11, led the Thunderbirds to a 21-10 record and the Region IX tournament title and a ninth-place finish at the national tournament...was named to the Region IX all-tournament team...in her sophomore season in 2010-11, played in 28 games and averaged 9.6 points per game and a team-high 10.5 rebounds per game...ranked 19th nationally in NJCAA Division I in rebounds per game...grabbed a team-high 152 offensive rebounds for an average of 5.4 per game to rank fourth nationally...as a freshman in 2009-10, averaged 7.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game...recorded 59 steals in 38 games and shot 41.9 percent from the field...helped Casper to a 33-5 record and a fourth-place finish at the national tournament...played her high school basketball at Bulkeley High School in Hartford...was named the team's top rebounder and defender all four years of her prep career...led Bulkeley to the 2006 state championship as a sophomore and was named team MVP in 2008...also competed in track and field.

Taijhe Kelly
6-4, Freshman, Center, Carson, Calif.
Played at Long Beach Poly High School, which finished the 2010-11 season 25-3 and ranked eighth in the nation...as a senior, averaged 4.1 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game...shot 44 percent from the field...had 10 points, seven rebounds, seven blocked shots and three steals against Georgetown (Texas)...had 10 points, five rebounds and six blocked shots against Mt. Lebanon (Pa.)...as a junior, helped the Jackrabbits to a 32-3 record, a No. 4 national ranking and an appearance in the California state championship game...averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game...scored 17 points in a 95-32 win over Compton...shot 53 percent from the field on the season...was also a track and field letterwinner at Long Beach Poly.

Zenta Liepa
6-1, Junior, Forward, Riga, Latvia
Played one season at Independence Community College in Kansas and one season at Logan College in Carterville, Ill....averaged 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2010-11 at Independence...helped the Lady Pirates to a 30-3 record and reached the Region VI semifinals...as a freshman at Logan College, averaged 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game...had nine points, 11 rebounds and three assists vs. Joliet Junior College...helped Logan to a 14-12 record.

Kelsie Lliteras
6-4, Junior, Forward, Chadron, Neb.
Will have to sit out the 2011-12 season per NCAA transfer rules and will be a junior come the 2012-13 season...played two years at North Carolina State before transferring at the end of the 2010-11 season...as a sophomore in 2010-11, played in 20 games and averaged 0.9 points and 1.5 rebounds per game...appeared in three games as a freshman, averaging 0.7 points per game, and played in the Wolfpack's NCAA Tournament game...at Chadron High School in Chadron, Neb., was a preseason honorable mention All-American by Sporting News heading into her senior campaign...averaged 16.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in her final prep season...capped her senior year by being named Class C-1 first-team all-state and was a first-team all-conference selection...as a junior, was named honorable mention all-state after averaging 13.7 points and 8.9 rebounds, while shooting 45.1 and 69.8 percent from the field and free throw line, respectively...set game highs with 28 points against Bayard and 17 rebounds against Sidney...averaged 8.1 points and 7.9 rebounds as a sophomore...played three years of AAU.