A Closer Look - Season 1 (Amanda Bologna, Ashley Lind, Taylor Stratton)
It is said that history repeats itself. Sophomores Amanda Bologna, Ashley Lind and Taylor Stratton hope that it does.
All three hail from Virginia and although the three did not go to the same school, the trio came together and reached the pinnacle of their sport.
As 16 year olds, their hard work paid off en route to winning an AAU National Championship.
“We were an underdog,” Stratton said. “Heading into the national tournament, we were ranked No. 101.”
At the national tournament, USC Aiken head coach Glenn Cox was interested in watching Stratton play when he noticed Bologna and Lind. From that point forward, Cox recruited all three.
The three continued their playing careers at their own high schools but they came down on an unofficial visit together. It did not take long for Stratton to commit.
“Taylor committed to USC Aiken immediately,” Bologna said. “Before we knew about the offer, she had already decided to be a Pacer.”
It took some more time before Bologna and Lind decided to play for USC Aiken, but both decided to separately at the start of their senior campaigns.
“Although we were all recruited by Coach Cox, having everyone as teammates was not a deciding factor in choosing USC Aiken,” Bologna said.
“It has made the transition to college easier for all of us,” Lind said. “We had familiar faces upon arriving on campus and we know how the others are on the court.”
One could say that although the trio had solid freshmen seasons, it was similar to the first year they played together.
Lind missed half of the season due to an injury while Bologna and Stratton split playing time. However, the three seemed to get into a groove near the end of the season and it could carry over to the 2014 schedule.
“We want to help take this program to the next level,” Bologna said. “I think we could do something that has not been done here before, but we would just be one factor. We have a ton of talent on the team and if we all work hard and come together, it could be possible.”
“The experience we got from winning a national championship and the understanding of each other on the team from last year will help take us a long way,” Lind said.
“Winning a national championship gave us a lot of confidence throughout the rest of our high school careers and even through today,” Stratton stated. “We have been on a big stage so it helps us when we go to big arenas or face some of the best teams in Division II.”
As a freshman, Bologna ranked among the league leaders in assists per set while Stratton picked up all-tournament team honors at the conference tournament. The Pacers, as an underdog, raced through the first two rounds of the event despite being the No. 6 seed. USC Aiken bested Francis Marion and Flagler before falling in an extremely close championship match.
All three stated their experience helped guide their 16-and under AAU team to a national championship and that could be the biggest strength for the Pacers in 2014. With the departure of just two due to graduation from the 2013 squad and an influx of outstanding talent, the 2014 team could be in the hunt for its first NCAA Tournament berth since the 2007 season.
As Stratton discussed, she has been on a team that had been an underdog, yet the team put together a strong run and won a national championship.
Should the three, along with the rest of the talented Pacer squad, play to its ability, history could repeat itself for Bologna, Lind and Stratton.
