Roland Park guard Ryan Holder, best known for her exceptional defense, has committed to play basketball at Massachusetts.
Holder, a 5-foot-10 shooting guard who will be a senior in the fall, chose the Minutewomen over Hofstra and Bucknell.
"When I went there and I really got a sense of the coaching staff and the academics -- it's an honors college -- I just loved it," Holder said. "Meeting the team and the coaches and understanding what the school's about, I felt like it could be my home away from home and I liked the level of basketball. It was a perfect fit."
Last winter, Holder helped the No. 2 Reds finish 21-5 and make it to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference final where they fell to No. 1 McDonogh in overtime. The Reds spent part of the year at No. 1 after defeating the Eagles during the regular season.
Holder, one of three starters who will return next season, contributed to every facet of the game, but her defense stood out. In the Reds' 71-59 win over No. 4 Milford Mill, Holder held All-Metro Player of the Year Dionna White to four second-half points as Roland Park rallied from 12 points down at halftime to win.
"She's the ultimate team player," Reds coach Scott Buckley said. "She's done everything we asked her to do. We have a lot of scorers on the team and she could be a big scorer, but she didn't have to be. She's really athletic and that's what makes her such a good defender."
Buckley said Atlantic 10 basketball is a great fit for Holder's game and Holder said she likes the up-tempo style the Minutewomen play.
"I'm still really excited," Holder said. "I'm very happy. I do feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders but I also feel this is just another push to keep working hard."
Holder will play in several tournaments with her Baltimore Lady Panthers Amateur Athletic Union team this summer.
She has about a 3.7 GPA and plans to major in journalism at Massachusetts.