The Bayfield High School volleyball team has had one of its best seasons ever, and it wouldn’t be possible without the improvement, relentless work ethic and passion of BHS junior outside hitter Jade Pascale.
Last weekend at the Palmer Ridge Tournament, Bayfield took on schools with twice its enrollment size, but that’s the kind of challenge that this pack of Wolverines thrives off of. The team stormed through the competition before sweeping 5A school Coronado in the title game, and Pascale was a force at the net once again.
“I play my best when people doubt me or tell me I don’t have much of a chance,” Pascale said. “I like to prove the doubters wrong.”
Someone must have told Pascale that the bigger schools were going to be tough to beat. She finished the day with 28 kills, 17 blocks and a trophy that will always represent the first Palmer Ridge title Bayfield has ever won.
Bayfield’s players truly play as one unit, but Pascale’s all-around performance can’t be overlooked when looking at the season’s numbers. The junior is second on Bayfield with 167 kills this season, trailing only Maddi Foutz on the Wolverines’ team, and has played every single game of every match Bayfield has played. She leads the BHS attack with a 44.2 attack percentage and is also second on the team in total blocks with 68. Pascale also leads the team in serve percentage with a remarkably efficient 94.3 percent.
“I want to be the kind of player who can do whatever the coach asks me to do and whatever the team needs,” said Pascale, daughter of Casey and Corinne Pascale.
For that to happen, there needs to be a lot of work on many different levels, and that’s where Pascale thrives. She worked out seven days a week, twice a day in the offseason, to be at her best when the season started. The results and improvements have been obvious.
“Jade is an incredible worker, but she also has the gift of response,” Bayfield head coach Terene Foutz said. “I can get after her and challenge her, and she will stop at nothing to prove that she can do it. That combination of toughness, work ethic and the ability to respond is the formula for playing at the next level.”
As a kid who grew up in Nebraska, playing for the Huskers in college is Pascale’s dream, but athletes who work as hard as she does are the ones most likely to fulfill those dreams.
“I still have a lot of work left to make myself better,” she said. “Coach always says ‘We have to find your limit because we haven’t gotten there yet’ and that makes me want to work that much harder in the offseason.”
The offseason will have to wait a bit, however. Bayfield is set to host the regional tournament this Saturday, and they have a chip on their shoulders after being overlooked by the committee that seeded them fifth.
Upon seeing that, Pascale’s reaction was exactly what anyone would expect from her.
“We were all freaking out a bit at first,” she said. “But if that’s where they think we belong, and we didn’t do enough to change their minds yet, we’re going to do that from here on out.”
jfries@durangoherald.com
Behind the scenes
What is your favorite local restaurant?:
East by Southwest
What is your favorite sports team?:
Nebraska Cornhuskers
What music do you listen to before games?:
I have some Metallica and AC/DC my dad likes to listen to. It gets me fired up.
What is your favorite childhood book?:
The Velveteen Rabbit
Who is your celebrity crush?:
Channing Tatum
Where is your favorite vacation spot?:
I always look forward to visiting Nebraska.
Where is the worst place to play?:
Pagosa Springs and Durango are always tough.
What is your dream job?:
I want to be an ER nurse.
What teacher made a great impact on you?:
Ms. Dennison at Bayfield Middle School. She always pushed me to work as hard as I can.
What is your favorite subject in school?:
Science. I’m in the Health Occupations Students of America. I like that stuff.
