Kaetlyn Danley of Holcomb earns All-Region softball honors

Holcomb Lady Hornet Kaetlyn Danley at bat.

Photo by Steve Hankins, Delta Dunklin Democrat

HOLCOMB, Mo. - Kaetlyn Danley, a graduated senior from Holcomb High School, was selected for the 2024 NFCA High School Spring All-Region team.

The NFCA, National Fastpitch Coaches Association, recognized 191 athletes from 108 schools as All-Region. The award honors softball athletes from eight regions in the United States. 

Danley was selected Second Team All-Region for Region VIII. Region VIII included the states of Ohio, Indiana and Virginia along with parts of Missouri. 

Danley was the only athlete from Southeast Missouri to be selected.

“I was shocked honestly,” Danley said. “I didn’t even think about it. It’s a really high honor and I have never heard of anyone in our area receiving it. I was blessed to get it again.”

This is Danley’s second time receiving NFCA All-Regions. Her first time was as a sophomore when she played 2nd base. This time she earned it at the 3rd base position. 

Danley was part of an All-State team at Holcomb which placed 3rd at the MSHSAA Class 1 Championships in her senior season. She was First Team All-State, First Team All-Conference and All-Districts. Along with these accolades, she was also Academic All-State and an NFCA Scholar Athlete.

For Danley, receiving All-Regions this year was a special way to close out her softball career.

“It was a good way to end,” Danley said. “It made it bittersweet.”

NFCA All-Region student athletes must be nominated by their NFCA-affiliated coach to earn the honor.

According to Holcomb’s head coach Matt Casper, Danley is the only athlete he has ever had to be selected for All-Regions.

“Only two players from our area earned All-Region for third base,” Casper said. “This is good company to be in for her.”

Out of 191 athletes, only 23 were selected from Missouri. Washington High School and Blue Springs South High School had the most selected athletes out of Missouri. 

Holcomb High School senior Kaetlyn Danley tears around the base paths against Bernie. Photo by Tom Davis, Semoball.

Despite being a smaller school,Danley said the Hornets softball program has grabbed a lot of attention over the years.

“Cheering on your teammates and the energy you feel at softball is so much different from other sports,” Danley said. “ Especially at our school. There are so many more people who showed up at softball games than any other sport. There were so many other people who would feed into it so it was completely different than how everything else was at Holcomb for girls.”

Along with softball, Danley competed in volleyball and basketball as a three sport athlete for the Hornets. 

Danley said basketball was her favorite of the three sports. However,an injury during the fall volleyball season almost caused her to miss her senior year of basketball and softball.

“It was the fifth game of the volleyball season,” Danley said. “I went to save a ball and my ankle just kind of snapped.”

Danley said she ignored the pain for a week but eventually went to urgent care when the pain didn’t subside. 

She missed seven weeks of play, before she came back and helped the Hornets win the Class 1 District 1 tournament and qualify for state in volleyball.

Danley also went on to score her 1,000 career point in basketball and aid the softball team to a third place showing at state.

In softball, she had a .545 hitting avg with 48 total hits and only 3 strikeouts. She recorded 11 doubles and 4 triples this season and 59 total runs. 

Along with her own scored runs, Danley batted 36 RBIs. While she got walked 28 times, she was able to take 17 stolen bases in her senior softball campaign.

Her efforts and recovery helped her become a nominee for Comeback Athlete of the Year at the Semoball Awards.

“I had to wear that ugly ankle brace every game,” Danley said.” In volleyball, I had to sit on the side and cheer. In basketball, I was the only senior and I was trying my best to be a leader. I didn’t want people to think I was hurt and feel sorry for me. Then softball came and I felt like I had a clean slate.”

According to Casper, who coached volleyball and softball at Holcomb, Danley has been super dynamic for the hornets.

He said this showed when he moved her from second to third base and she was able to shut down other teams from the infield. Casper said she was a phenomenal cornerstone for the program in her senior season.

“She is the only player I have coached to get national recognition from the NFCA, which is huge,” Casper said. “Her ability to stay consistent and be one of our top players and one of the main reasons to have the success we have had in the last four years has been an honor to coach. It was huge for her and our program.”

Since Danley won All-Region honors, she moves on in the selection process to be nominated for NFCA High School All-American teams. The All-American teams will be announced on July 19.