By Michael Eldridge | @DFWSportsMike

ARLINGTON, Texas - UT Arlington coach Krista Gerlich announced the signing of three JUCO student-athletes to join the Lady Mavericks for the 2016-17 season.

The Lady Mavericks welcome guards Christina Devers and Shelby Richards, as well as forward/center Greta Kairyte.

"We are very excited about our spring signing class," UT Arlington coach Krista Gerlich said. "We have some experienced kids coming into our program that will give us some versatility and depth all over the floor."

The Lady Mavericks battled through an injury-riddled 2015-16 campaign to finish 15-16. The team finished 34th in scoring defense at 56.5 points per game - second in the Sun Belt. Rebekah VanDijk led the Lady Mavs with 12.2 points per game and was named to the All-Sun Belt second team. Cierra Johnson was on the Sun Belt third team.

UTA is set to return eight student-athletes from this season's squad, including VanDijk and Johnson.

Christina Devers | Guard | Connors State (Bixby, Okla.)
Devers, sitting out the 2015-16 season, averaged 28.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game at Connors State, starting in all 26 games in 2014-15. She was second in NJCAA for scoring average, seventh in NJCAA for field-goal percentage at 34.2 percent and dished out 4.8 assists per game.

Gerlich on Devers:
"Christina is a prolific scorer. We do not have anyone in our program with her potential offensive scoring output. She can score in a variety of ways and is super quick off the bounce. I believe she will become just as effective on the defensive end too. She has the athletic ability and the game awareness that will elevate everyone's play around her. We have recruited Christina for almost two years now and have built a great relationship with her and her family. We are excited about her future as a Lady Mav."

Greta Kairyte | Forward/Center | Weatherford College (Palanga, Lithuania)
Kairyte, coming to UTA in a similar route as former Lady Mav Toma Zaleckaite, averaged 9.7 points for the Coyotes during her sophomore season, starting in 25 of her 26 games played. Kairyte was a NJCAA Region V honorable mention for the league's all-conference list.

Gerlich on Kairyte:
"Greta is a great addition to our post game which took a hit this year with the graduation of three of our posts. She brings length, athleticism and strength, plus a great work ethic that we expect all of our players to possess. Greta has a nice midrange jumper, can stretch the defense to the 3-point line, and has a variety of post moves on the block that makes her a versatile four or five player for us. With her athleticism she will also be able to defend the smaller four players for us. She is a great sign for us and we are looking forward to watching her grow and develop into a force in the paint."

Shelby Richards | Guard | Odessa (South Jordan, Utah)
Richards averaged 14.3 points per game in 28 games played as a sophomore at Odessa. Richards averaged 44.7 percent from the field as well as 37.4 from beyond the arc. The guard helped her team reach the WJCAC Region V Conference tournament.

Gerlich on Richards:
"Shelby has to be one of the most competitive players I've seen in a while. Every time she steps on the court, she is looking to score, help her teammates score, or down in a great defensive position ready to get a stop. She is crafty when she penetrates the paint, she can knock down the three and she can defend in the full court. We love Shelby's attitude and personality. She was an instant fit in our program. She will be fun to watch as she has a great passion for the game and team ball."