Sophomore guard Amber Bland is no longer a part of the Penn State women's basketball team, according to a June 14 press release.

Bland is the third player to request and receive a release from the Lady Lions after the team's early exit from the NCAA women's basketball tournament in the first round. Junior guard Jen Harris and sophomore guard Lisa Etienne also requested and received releases from the program on March 24, four days following the team's tournament loss to Liberty.

Bland could not be reached for comment.

"I am disappointed that Amber has chosen not to return," Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland said in the June 14 statement. "I certainly expected her to contribute this season, but we have a strong incoming class that will have an immediate chance to play a major role."

Assistant Sports Information Director Erin Whiteside said Portland would not comment further on the situation.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg reported on June 15 that Bland waited until May to ask the university for her release, after completing signing of her grant-in-aid for next year and pre-registering for summer and fall classes.

Portland and assistant athletic director for operations Jen James did not initially grant Bland her release until Bland sent a letter to Penn State President Graham Spanier.

"The NCAA has a policy in place when a player renews their scholarship and requests a release, but thank-

fully the situation was handled without resorting to that," Whiteside said.

Several phone calls to James' office yesterday were not returned.

Bland told the Patriot-News she was prepared to petition the NCAA if her release request was not honored, and contacting Spanier was her "second-to-last option."

Bland never spoke with Spanier directly, but did speak to vice president for student affairs Vicky Triponey on several occaisions via telephone, according to the Patriot-News.

Harris, Etienne, and Bland were reportedly told individually by Portland following the team's loss to Liberty that they would not be a part of the team's future plans and should seek another program, according to Harris.

Harris and Etienne requested and received their releases shortly thereafter.

Portland released an additional statement, following the news that said the release of Harris and Etienne was being treated as an "internal team matter" and that Bland was participating in team workouts.

Bland averaged 3.5 points and 13.8 minutes per game in her freshman season, and her loss brings the number of returning players to the Lady Lions to three: junior Amanda Brown, sophomores Adrienne Squire and Romana Vynuchalova.

Junior guard Kamela Gissendanner, a transfer from North Carolina State, sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules will be one of the new players filling in the shoes of the lost Lady Lions.

Four other incoming freshman -- Brianne O'Rourke, Rashida Mark, Courtney Molinaro and Mashea Williams -- in addition to recently signed junior college transfer Charity Renfro have already arrived on campus for summer classes.