Women’s basketball welcomes 2017 recruiting class
As the University of San Diego Toreros women’s basketball team looks ahead to their upcoming season, the incoming recruiting class provides a lot to be optimistic about.
The recruiting class is headlined by high school seniors Kendall Bird, Myah Pace, and Sydney Hunter, all of whom had impressive senior seasons.
Kendall Bird played high school basketball in Buckley, Wash. Photo courtesy of USD Toreros
Kendall Bird, a 6’2” forward from White River High School in Buckley, Wash., led her team to a 24-4 record and a sixth place finish in the 2A state tournament in her senior season.
Following her senior year at White River High School, Bird received numerous awards, including the Associated Press 2A Washington State Player of the Year, and the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches 2A Player of the Year. Bird was also recognized as the 2A South Puget Sound League MVP and the 2A The News Tribune All-Area Player of the Year.
Myah Pace, a 5’10’’ combo guard from Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, Calif., also led her team to a conference championship, winning the West Alameda County Conference League Championship and reaching the NCS Division Three championship game. Pace averaged a double-double, scoring 15 points and collecting 12 rebounds a game.
Myah Pace was the No. 65 in the nation. Photo courtesy of Star Playerz/Twitter
She became the second player in Bishop O’Dowd’s history to tally 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Pace, who is currently ranked as the No. 65 recruit in the country, was named to the All-Bay Area News Group first team while also taking home the CIF North Coast Section Female Basketball Player of the Year award following her senior season.
Pace said it was the people who drew her to USD.
“The coaches have always believed in me since the beginning of my recruiting journey,” Pace said. “All of the coaches and players are great and competitive people.”
She also spoke highly of the overall environment of the campus as a big influence in her decision to commit to USD.
“I think my official visit solidified why I wanted to be a part of the USD family,” Pace said. “The girls were so nice and welcoming, and I had a lot of fun on campus meeting all the different people. It let me know that I could definitely see myself spending the next four years at USD.”
Sydney Hunter hails from Kiezer, Ore., where she averaged 14.6 points per game as a senior. Photo courtesy of USD Toreros
Sydney Hunter’s senior season was stellar as well. Hunter, a 6’0’’ guard from McNary High School in Keizer, Ore., averaged a double-double with 14.6 points per game and 12.0 rebounds per game, also dishing out three assists per game, 2.5 steals per game, and an average of one block per contest.
For the third year in a row, Hunter was named to the All-Greater Valley Conference, also making the American Family Insurance All-USA Mid-Valley First Team.
Following the graduation of backcourt starters Cori Woodward and Katherine Hamilton, the Toreros will expect all three players to contribute immediately.
“I’m really looking forward to just competing and working hard,” Myah Pace said. “I’m just ready to come in and contribute in whatever ways I can.”
The upcoming season for head coach Cindy Fisher’s team should be an exciting one. This trio of talented future Toreros should provide excitement at the Jenny Craig Pavilion for years to come.
Written by Anderson Haigler, Contributor