10 SECONDS
with Rachel Morrissey
Justin Siewierski
Editor-In-Chief
js2010@plymouth.edu
Once someone commits to a collegiate sport, it can become harder and harder to stick with it. Your schedule gets tougher, you might start spending time with more friends, and the pressure on keeping up on everything can get to you. If you ask a student athlete on campus what it is like to play a sport, they usually give you something along the lines of “it’s hard, but it really is worth it.” Not everyone can handle the pressure of balancing college sports and grades. For Rachel Morrissey, picking up her second collegiate sport sophomore year came easy.
Morrissey came to Plymouth playing as a defensive specialist on the volleyball team. After a year of playing a fall sport, the then-sophomore tried out for the Plymouth State softball team and made the cut. After hitting her first career homerun this year, Morrissey hits .267 in her career, including seven stolen bases and just 13 strikeouts in 165 at bats. The senior marketing major from Salem, New Hampshire shed some light on how it is to be a two-sport athlete in this week’s edition of 10 Seconds.
When did you first start playing volleyball? When did you first start playing softball?
I've been playing volleyball for eight years now. I started playing volleyball my freshmen year of high school. I've been playing softball for basically my whole life it seems. IthinkIwas6yearsoldwhenI started playing.
Why did you come to Pl ymouth?
Volleyball was a huge reason for me coming to Plymouth. The team was so inviting, and I felt like I fit right in. I also loved the atmosphere and the surrounding area here. It's the perfect size for me, and I'm so happy with my 4 years.
What has been your favorite memory at PSU?
It's so hard to just pick one memory. This past volleyball season, we played UMass Boston at home and lost in 5 sets. Even though we lost, it was probably the most fun and exciting volleyball game I have ever been apart of.
My favorite softball memory has to be my first collegiate home-run this past spring break in Florida! That doesn't happen often, and I'm going to remember that forever.
Who's your biggest role model?
One of my biggest role models has to be my Dad. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and he is always undeniably himself. He has taught me to enjoy the little things in life, to never take anything for granted, and when something doesn't go your way to just laugh it off (or dance it off). He is my number one fan on and off the field/court, and I appreciate all he has done and continues to do for me.
Athletics website has you listed as PR/Marketing major. Why did you choose this?
I chose to study Marketing because I would really love to be an Event Planner one day. I gained some experience this past summer as a Wedding Coordinator Assistant and loved every second of it. I'm excited to see what my future holds!
Why did you choose to try out for softball after taking a couple years off?
After high school, I decided to play volleyball over softball because I thought playing two sports in college would be way too much to handle. I went back and forth throughout my senior year of high school trying to choose which sport to play. I chose volleyball, but it wasn't easy for me at all. After my freshmen year here, I realized how much I really missed playing softball and that I could handle playing two sports. Trying out for softball my sophomore year was one of the best decisions I've made.
If you could go back, would you have played softball all four years?
In a way, I'm grateful for only playing volleyball my freshmen year. As cheesy as it sounds, I think everything happens for a reason, and I've had a great experience with both sports!
What has collegiate athletics taught you that your classes haven't?
Collegiate athletics has not only taught me time management, and dedication but it has taught me how to handle failure. With playing sports, comes failure. It doesn't matter how hard you strive for success, perfection is ultimately impossible (and coming from a perfectionist, that's hard to grasp sometimes). A good batting average in softball is around .333, meaning that for every 10 times you get up to bat, you basically fail 7 times. Instead of taking those failures for what they are, I have learned to take those failures as opportunities to improve. You can never change the past, but you can always work hard and learn from it. And that is something that we can use in every part of our lives.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In 5 years, I just hope to be happy! I hope I have a job that I love going to every morning and a cozy house by some body of water. I'm sure I'll have a couple cats in 5 years as well.
If someone you knew was looking at Plymouth State, what would you say to convince them to come here instead of any other school?
I would tell them that Plymouth State is unlike any other. Plymouth has so much to offer. The people at Plymouth are awesome along with the professors here as well. Every faculty member that I have crossed paths with really does care about you and your future. It's the small things like that that make it all worth it sometimes. It was the atmosphere and the area of Plymouth that really drew me in to coming here, and I've never looked back.