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COLLEGE SOFTBALL: HORSEHEADS SENIOR WILL PLAY D1 SOFTBALL WITH HER SISTER AT UMASS (2021-10-17)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
Getting a chance to play sports with a sibling is special.

Getting a chance to play sports with your sibling at the Division I level is something that’s as rare as it comes.

That’s exactly what Horseheads’ Olivia Packard will be doing next year as she joins her sister Abby on the softball team at UMass.

“It will be a blast getting to play with her,” Olivia Packard said. “I got to play with her a couple years through high school and travel ball and I’m excited to play with her a couple years at Amherst. It will be a nice bonus.”

Originally Abby was at UMass Lowell, and that’s where Olivia had first planned to go, but a coaching change has Abby at UMass (Amherst) and now Olivia will join her.

“I really liked the campus and everything,” Olivia said of UMass Amherst. “I was originally committed to UMass Lowell this past summer, but my coaches took positions at Amherst. They went there, they are alumni from there, it’s their dream job. They gave me a chance to come there and I ended up feeling it was an environment I would thrive in.

“I am very excited because my sister is currently at UMass. I will have an opportunity to play with her a couple years.”

Abby, who will be a junior next year, was an America East all-rookie team selection at Lowell. After the coaching staff she was the first of the two sisters to wind up at Amherst.

“She had actually been in the same situation I had been in and ended up transferring to UMass,” Olivia said. “She played at Lowell, she did very well.

“It will be nice to have here there to show me the ropes and we can figure things out together.”

Olivia is excited to be at UMass and to be playing in a conference like the Atlantic 10.

“I am very excited for that,” she said. “They are super positive. Their coaching style fits very well with me and my personality. I’m motivated to work very hard now to prove myself and be able to fit right in there.”

Olivia feels like her leadership abilities are something the coaches were drawn to.

“They really like my personality and leadership skills,” she said. “What I bring personality wise behind the plate, they like how vocal I am and how hard working.”

For the Horseheads senior there are some things she wants to work on before college.

“Definitely my hitting,” she said. “I had some success the past couple of weekends, but it’s still a work in progress. And, communicating with pitchers, probably my speed a little bit to (she said of other things she wants to work on).”

For the Blue Raiders star the idea of playing Division I softball is special.

“I am extremely excited,” she said. “It’s been a goal of mine since I was tiny. Seeing it pan out and come true, I’m so grateful.”

Having two sisters on the same team makes things a bit easier for the rest of the family.

“My parents are definitely excited about that,” Olivia said. “I’m one of three kids it’s nice to have two in the same place.”

While UMass Amherst was the right fit for Olivia for softball, it was also the right fit academically.

“I did a lot of research into their academic programs,” Olivia said. “I’m looking to study biomedical engineeering. I got on campus and ended up loving it.”

Having her college choice finalized takes some pressure off the rest of her senior year.

“It’s been a huge weight off my shoulders,” Olivia said. “It’s so nice to get my application done and not have to stress about it until I sign it. It’s been very nice.”

The whole process of recruiting was a bit harder the past year with Covid.

“It was really stressful, not being able to get on campuses, and coaches weren’t able to come out to games and stuff because of the dead period,” Olivia said. “I sent a lot of videos and I kept recording doing drills, it was stressful.”

This year, the Horseheads senior is hoping for a more normal senior season after Covid has had an impact on two straight years.

“I can’t wait to have another normal year,” Olivia said. “It should be a very positive environment. I love being at Horseheads, I love my teammates, I’m excited.

“Definitely I’m grateful we are getting, hopefully, a mostly normal season, it’s my senior year and I’d love to play a full season.”

Playing in the STAC at Horseheads, and playing travel for the original TC Tremors out of Binghamton, Olivia has seen a lot of players go on to play college softball and that made her want to get there even more.

“For sure, it’s been very motivating for me seeing everyone else succeed,” she said. “It made me push myself further and hopefully see myself do the same.”
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