Heading into the 2014 season, the University of South Carolina Aiken softball team was ready to make its mark in the Peach Belt Conference while earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. With an abundance of talent returning and the wealth of newcomers taking the field, head coach Jerry Snyder knew his team could make 2014 a special season.

USC Aiken not only clinched the No. 3 seed in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament, but also earned the No. 6 spot in the NCAA Southeast Regional and won a pair of games in the tournament for the first time in school history. The squad also registered 36 home runs, which is second most in school history.

From the first day of practice, Snyder knew he had a talented team with a pair of all-region student-athletes in India Kornegay and Kaitlyn White. However, the newcomers stepped up more than imagined, helping build the team into the powerhouse it was, winning a school-record tying 34 games.

It started with the first game of the season when Kornegay tossed a no-hitter in the 8-0 win over Coker. The victory gave the Pacers confidence as they embarked on a five-game winning streak to start the season, including a sweep of the field at the Claflin Tournament.

USC Aiken split a pair of games at Newberry, winning a crucial 1-0 contest. On Feb. 19, the team hosted Lenoir-Rhyne, who is perennially in the top-25. The squad earned a split with the Bears as well – and L-R eventually earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

After dropping the second game of the doubleheader against the Bears, USC Aiken hit the road for the Shaw Tournament. The team went 4-1, but the most memorable part of the two-day affair came from the right arm of Kornegay as she struck out all 18 batters while throwing a perfect game in the 10-0 win over Paine. It marked the first time in Division II history someone had accomplished the feat, earning her PBC Pitcher of the Week and NFCA National Pitcher of the Week honors.

The squad finished off the Shaw Tournament with an improbable come-from-behind win over NCAA Tournament foe Mount Olive by a 7-5 score. The Pacers had trailed the Trojans 4-0 after the top of the first, but rallied back for the win.

The momentum gained by that victory sparked a six-game winning-streak and the team won eight-of-nine, including a 5-1 record during home games of that stretch. In one of the two wins at West Georgia, Kornegay struck out a school-record 19 batters.

Although USC Aiken lost its next four games – all of which were on the road – Snyder's team bounced back with a 3-0 win over Flagler. A loss to the Saints in the second game did not deter the Pacers as they won 11 of their next 13 contests as all were against league competition. During the stretch of wins, one came over the eventual-PBC Champion and NCAA Southeast No. 1 seed, North Georgia. Kornegay threw another no-hitter in the victory and Taylor Morgan narrowly missed out on a no-hitter in the second game of the doubleheader. In the win over GRU Augusta, Kornegay became the first USC Aiken student-athlete and just the third in PBC history to strike out 1,000 batters in a career.

On Senior Day, a late rally propelled the Pacers past NCAA Tournament participant Georgia College by a 6-5 count. Morgan shined in the nightcap as the team won 4-1.

After losing in the quarterfinal round to Columbus State in the PBC Tournament in the rainy conditions by a 9-8 score, USC Aiken still earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. Although the squad was eliminated from the conference tournament, White earned all-tournament team honors as she tied the league- and school-mark for triples in a game.

The squad dropped the opener to Armstrong, but a pair of one-hitters by Kornegay helped the Pacers to a 2-0 win over Georgia College and a 5-0 victory over No. 2 seed Anderson.

During the season, all of the members of the team made significant contributions to the team, helping the squad reach its goal of the NCAA Tournament.

Makenzie Barbor was solid defensively as she was one of four that concluded the season with a perfect fielding percentage.

Victoria Burkett played in 45 contests and was a solid defensive player. Burkett, like Montei, was perfect in the field and had an outfield assists.

Samantha Chubb had an amazing season, entering the top-10 list for USC Aiken in career home runs. Despite having just arrived on campus in the fall of 2013, Chubb swatted 10 round-trippers and finished with 38 RBI, both of which were team-high honors. Chubb also sported team-high honors in slugging percentage (.529) and assists (58) while playing the hot corner.

Alyssa Cook overcame an injury early in the season to become a staple behind the dish for the Pacers. She appeared in 34 games, starting 30. She led the team with 267 putouts on the season to go along with 19 assists.

Andrea Daring played in 25 games, earning 15 starts. She came through in the clutch, recording four home-runs, including one as a pinch hitter. Daring was versatile, filling in at catcher and first base.

Rookie Brielle Jungblut came on strong, posting a .375 batting average while earning PBC Freshman of the Week honors.

Kornegay concluded her career with every USC Aiken career pitching record and made her way into the top 10 in several categories in the PBC ledger. In 2014, Kornegay struck out a school-record 316, won a school-record 24 games, tossed 12 shutouts and held the opposition to a .154 batting average. With her outstanding senior campaign, Kornegay earned Daktronics All-America honors.    

Madison Labrador was fourth on the team with four round-trippers. Nearly one-third of her hits went for extra bases and she was dynamic on defense at second base.

Ashley Metts' defensive prowess proved she could play shortstop as well as anyone in the PBC. She started all 50 games and was second on the team with six round-trippers. Metts was also second on the team with 51 putouts against just three errors.

Sarah Montei was fourth on the team in batting average, but played an integral part of the team's success. She posted a team-high 11 sacrifice hits, helping push White into scoring position on numerous occasions. Arguably one of the best outfielders in the region, Montei netted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage to go along with four assists while starting every game.

Morgan pitched in 26 games, earning 22 starts. She picked up 10 wins and had the lone save out of the USC Aiken bullpen. Taylor struck out 151 batters and held opponents to a .217 batting average.

Hillary Stewart rounded out the season by playing in 19 games, earning 16 starts. She boasted a stellar .543 slugging percentage and was nearly perfect in the field, registering a .994 fielding percentage.

Rookie Magan Thrower was second on the team with six round-trippers. She came a long way at first base, scooping up several errant throws for outs.

Shannon Traylor's outstanding speed wreaked havoc on opposing defenses. Traylor saw action in 34 games and scored 10 runs while stealing three bases.

White led the team with a .376 average. She topped the squad in total bases (82) and steals (21). Her six triples led the PBC and she concluded her career in several career lists at USC Aiken, including batting average, on-base percentage and steals.

Brittney Williamson rounded out her career by becoming one of the best in school history in sacrifice hits. In 2014, she was second on the team with 10. Virtually every time she got a hit, she came around to score.

In addition to Kornegay and White earning a pair of all-region honors and being named first-team all-conference, Alyssa Cook was tabbed the Peach Belt Conference Elite 15 winner as she was the student-athlete with the highest GPA participating in the conference tournament.

Despite Snyder losing two all-region performers, the cupboard is far from bare for USC Aiken. With the addition of a talented recruiting class, the Pacers will once again vie for a spot at the top of the PBC and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.