Reposting from earlier this month
For their excellence both in the classroom and their respective athletic endeavors, Peabody High senior volleyball star Abby Bettencourt and Bishop Fenwick football captain Luke Connolly have been chosen as the Moynihan Lumber Student-Athletes of the Month for October. For details on Luke Connolly Click Here
Abby Bettencourt – Peabody High School with Bill Newell
Story by Phill Stacey
17-yeThe ar-old Bettencourt, a three-sport ace for the Tanners in volleyball, basketball and softball, has already committed to Brown University in Providence to continue her career on the diamond as an ace pitcher and hitter. Her academics speak volumes, as she ranks third in her senior class with a 4.12 GPA.
“I enjoy school a lot,” said Abby. “I’m a competitive person, so I take that with me into the classroom.
Every test is a new challenge for me; I prepare for those the same way I prepare for a big game. I need to feel comfortable that I’ve studied enough beforehand, so that I go into the test prepared and confident.”
Abby, whose favorite subject is math, (“I like how there’s a right and a wrong answer; it’s not up for interpretation”), is a member of Peabody High’s Exceptional Honor Roll, awarded to those select few for a classroom score of 90 or above in all subjects for all quarters. She is a Harvard Book Award winner and secretary of her school’s NHS.
She plans on studying in the medical field at Brown. “My mom (Lauren) is a physician assistant, so that’s always interested me,” Abby said.
At 5-foot-10, Abby considers volleyball to be her “fun” sport. She originally was a soccer and field hockey player in the fall before attending a volleyball camp with her younger sister, Lizzy, and fell in love with it.
The daughter of Peabody High football and baseball coach Mark Bettencourt, Abby was named Most Valuable Player of the Northeastern Conference this fall, finishing her career with better than 1,500 assists (a school record), 200 aces and 400 kills. She helped guide the Tanners to an 18-2 record, a conference championship, and a spot in the Division 1 state tournament.
“Volleyball is fast paced, and I really like that I have a lot of control on the court,” she said. “I don’t necessarily score all the points, but set up my teammates for success.
She has received many awards during her time at Peabody High, but this particular honor ranks high on her personal list.
“Because it involves being both a student and an athlete, that makes me proud,” Abby said. “A lot of awards I get are heavily weighted towards one side or the other, so to receive this honor where he’s weighted equally is really nice.”
