Plymouth State Athletic Hall of Fame
CASEY STOODLEY BUTTON (’13): Stoodley is the first and only All-American in the history of the women's volleyball program and one of just four players to record 1,000 career kills and digs, despite spending just three seasons at Plymouth State.
One of the most dynamic players in program history, Stoodley's name is littered throughout the Plymouth State record books. She helped lead the Panthers to the top seed for the LEC Tournament for the first time in 2011, then became the program's first All-American a year later.
After spending her freshman season at nearby Southern New Hampshire, Stoodley quickly made an impact in her first year with the Panthers, notching a 12-kill, 16-dig double-double in her first game in a Plymouth State uniform. Stoodley registered 55 kills, 40 digs, 8 aces, and four blocks to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team at the Endicott Invitational, helping the Panthers advance to the championship game.
Her knack for playing her best in the biggest moments first appeared in the LEC opener at Western Connecticut, where she registered 19 kills and 19 digs to help the Panthers flip a fifth-set deficit into a win. In early October, she pounded a season-best 20 kills in the first of three wild matches against rival Keene State, adding 15 digs and eight aces. The two teams squared off again in the semifinals of the LEC Tournament, where Stoodley smashed 19 kills and chipped in 20 digs in another marathon battle. Though the Owls came away with a five-set victory, Plymouth State was awarded a spot in the ECAC New England Tournament, where the two teams met yet again in the semifinal round. Stoodley recorded her 17th double-double of the season, 16 kills and 18 digs, but the Owls once again proved victorious.
She finished the year with 381 kills, 348 digs, 60 aces, and 31 blocks to earn all LEC First Team honors, but it was just the beginning.
The 2011 team opened its campaign at the Springfield College Invitational, where Stoodley averaged better than four kills per set with a .271 attack percentage. She matched her career high with a 20-kill effort in the conference opener two weeks later, though Western Connecticut eked out a win. The team hit another level from there, riding an eight-match winning streak, which included wins over MIT and Keene State.
Stoodley racked up 16 kills and 26 digs in the latest heavyweight battle against the Owls, a 3-1 win in which each set was decided by two points. PSU closed the regular season winning 10-of-11 matches, the lone setback a five-set thriller against a powerful Middlebury team. Naturally, Stoodley posted 20 kills and 14 digs.
Included in the stretch was a sweep of #18 UMass Boston, the Beacons' first conference loss in nearly three seasons. Stoodley recorded a match-high 14 kills, helping snap UMass Boston's 35-match home winning streak.
The two teams finished tied atop the LEC standings, with the head-to-head victory giving Plymouth State the top seed for the LEC Tournament for the first time. Stoodley was near-perfect in a semifinal matchup with Eastern Connecticut, smacking 16 kills without an error as the Panthers swept their way to the championship game. Despite another double-digit kill effort, UMass Boston was able to avenge the earlier season loss, though Plymouth State was awarded the second seed for the ECAC tournament.
The Panthers rallied past Endicott in the semifinals behind Stoodley's 19 kills, and she added her 11th double-double of the year in the title game, finishing with 10 kills and 17 digs. Stoodley repeated her First Team All-LEC honors, ending the year with 426 kills, 338 digs, 53 aces, and 34 blocks.
Her 2012 season was one of the most impressive in program history. Stoodley registered double-doubles in 22-of-30 matches, becoming the fourth player to average better than four kills per set over the course of a season. Her 477 kills were the sixth-most in school history, and she added 465 digs. Stoodley recorded double-digit kills in all but five matches, reaching the 20-kill threshold four separate times.
She totaled a match-high 21 kills and 13 digs on Senior Day, as the Panthers overcame a 2-0 deficit to stun UMass Boston for the second straight year. She was named to the All-Tournament team at four different events, including the Tom Hay Invitational at Springfield College, where she recorded her 1,000th career dig just 11 days after registering her 1,000th career kill. The postseason honors rolled in.
A third straight All-LEC First Team selection, AVCA All-America Honorable Mention, AVCA All-New England First Team, ECAC All-New England Second Team, NEWVA All-New England Second Team, and a spot in the NEWVA Senior Classic.
Stoodley's 3.58 career kills per set still ranks second all-time, while she's also among the top ten in kills, aces, aces per set, digs, digs per set, points, and points per set. She holds two of the program's top ten season kill totals, while her 1,284 career kills in just three years ranks fifth all-time.
