BUFFALO, NY - University at Buffalo head women's basketball coach Cheryl Dozier has announced the signing of four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic and academic careers at UB beginning in the fall. They are: Heather Turner (West Seneca, NY/Mount Mercy Academy), Barbora Homolova (Ceska Lipa, Czech Republic/Strakonice), Diana Orozco Gollaz (León Guanajuato, Mexico/Tec de Monterrey-León) and Flynn Pyykkonen (Clarkston, MI/Marian). The Bulls' incoming class is now up to five players, including Stephanie Bennett (Springfield, OH/Kenton Ridge), a 5-10 guard and the younger sister of Allison Bennett (Springfield, OH/Kenton Ridge), who was an early signee back in November.

Turner, the Buffalo News Western New York Player of the Year, is the first local player Dozier has signed to a National Letter of Intent in her tenure at UB. Turner is a 6-0 post player who was a two-year letterwinner at Mount Mercy Academy, where she played for head coach Chris Massey. Turner led her team to a combined 49-7 record and to a pair of league championship titles. She had 22 double-doubles in 28 games in 2003-04 while averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds. She was the Co-Most Valuable Player of the Monsignor Martin League as a senior and a second-team All-Catholic selection as a junior. Turner's older sister Jessica will be a junior on Niagara's women's basketball team next season.

"Heather is a very committed young lady who has proven her desire to compete at this level over the last 12 months," said Dozier. "We're also very excited to have signed a Western New York product for the first time ever. Heather is a scorer and her ability to bang in the low post and rebound the basketball will help us a great deal."

Homolova, a 6-3 post player, averaged 13 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, four assists and four steals at Strakonice, a high school in her native Czech Republic. She has led her team to Czech High School Championship titles in each of the past three years, and her team is once again one of the top four teams in the Czech Republic entering this year's tournament. Homolova has also played on the Czech Junior National Team for the past two years.

"Barbora has the size we have needed in the low post," said Dozier. "She's a low post scorer and has a lot of mobility and versatility for her size which will put her in position to be very successful within our system."

Orozco Gollaz is a 5-10 freshman guard from Mexico who averages 15 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game. She competed with Mexico's National Team - along with former UB standout Sonia Ortega - that placed fourth in the Pre-Olympic Games in Mexico last September. Orozco Gollaz has also been on teams that placed third in the Centro American Games in El Salvador in November of 2001 and fourth at the Centrobasket Tournament in Mexico in June of 2003.

"Diana reminds me a great deal of Sonia Ortega because she is a tireless worker," said Dozier. "She has good size for a guard, which will be an important asset on the defensive end of the floor, and she's a strong rebounder. She also has great international experience which should allow her to come in and compete at this level right away."

Pyykkonen is a 5-11 freshman guard/forward who was a four-year starter and two-year team captain at Marian High School in Bloomfield Hills, MI where she helped lead her team to two Catholic League Championship and State Class A District Championship titles. Pyykkonen averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists as a senior en route to being named to the All-Catholic League First Team for the second straight year. As a senior, she was ranked 41st in the state of Michigan by the Detroit Free Press and fifth in Oakland County by the Oakland Press. Pyykkonen is a two-time All-Area Second Team pick by the Observer Eccentric and a two-time All-Metro Honorable Mention selection by the Detroit Free Press. She also led her Detroit Pistons AAU team to an AAU State Championship title in 2000 and has competed at AAU Nationals on four occasions.

"We're very excited about Flynn's versatility as far as playing both inside and outside," said Dozier. "She can hit the three and also play down low and physically dominate opponents. She'll also help us on the glass, both offensively and defensively.

"Our staff is very excited about the addition of these four young ladies. We'll have much-needed depth overall and a greater presence in the low post. Those were the two things that really hurt us last season, and we believe this group of players will come in and help us in those areas right away."