Athlete of the Week: Vanessa Pascal

Name: Vanessa Pascal

Graduating Class: 2012

Team: Marlborough High School Varsity Softball and Marlborough High School Varsity Volleyball

Pascal has played softball for Marlborough Girls Softball and for Marlborough High School since she was 13, beginning the sport with a year of t-ball and five years of baseball under her belt. Softball is not the only sport that has caught Pascal's attention. “I started volleyball as an eighth grader at Marlborough High. I also played basketball for them from eighth through 10th grades.”        

In 2010, Pascal began softball tournament play. In August 2011, she won the Home Run Derby in Myrtle Beach, SC, with then-club team EMass Panthers. Currently, she is playing for Mass Destruction and Twin Valley.

“I love the adrenaline rush that comes with every [softball] game and just being with my team," said Pascal. "What I love about volleyball is getting to balls that nobody thinks I can just proving people wrong. I love setting up plays for the hitters and setters and just the whole atmosphere when playing a game.”

Stats: Pascal recently broke the batting record at Marlborough High with an average of .571 and she had an on base percentage of .689. The school's volleyball team won the this year.

What’s next: Pascal plans to study business management with a concentration in marketing at Eastern Nazarene College starting in the fall.

Highlight: When Pascal was asked to share a highlight of her softball career, she had several in mind. Not only did she earn the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) and was chosen to be a Mid-Wach-B League All-Star two years in a row, but Pascal also made the Telegram and Gazette super team. Also of note was, "...making playoffs and beating Hudson on Memorial Day plus my two homerun game against Westborough."

For volleyball, Pascal showcases the undefeated season for the Lady Panthers that included championships for Mid-Wach-A League, Central Massachusetts (District 2) and the aforementioned state victory.