MSSU Athletics Hall of Fame
One of the most dominant players in Missouri Southern volleyball history, Stephanie Gockley enjoyed a remarkable four-year career from 1994-97, earning MIAA Freshman of the Year honors in 1994 before becoming a three-time First Team All-MIAA selection and one of the most prolific attackers in program history.
Gockley finished her career as Missouri Southern's all-time leader in kills with 1,940 while setting the school record for career hitting percentage at .395. Her 1,940 career kills also fifth all-time in MIAA history. She remains one of the most accomplished offensive players ever to wear the Green and Gold, leading the Lions in kills in all four seasons of her career with 453 as a freshman, 543 in 1995, 523 in 1996, and 421 in 1997.
Her 1996 season stands among the finest in program history. Gockley set school single-season records with a .452 hitting percentage and 4.63 kills per set while recording 523 kills. She also owns the second-highest single-season hitting percentage (.415) from 1995, ranks fourth at .357 in 1994, and fifth at .352 in 1997, demonstrating remarkable efficiency throughout her career. Her 543 kills in 1995 rank fourth in program history for a single season, while her 523 kills in 1996 rank sixth and her 453 kills in 1994 rank 10th.
Gockley also delivered some of the greatest individual match performances in Missouri Southern history. She shares the school record for kills in a three-set match with 27 against St. Francis in 1995 and owns the program's five-set match record with 31 kills against North Alabama in 1996. In that same match, she posted a remarkable .737 hitting percentage (31 kills, three errors on 38 attempts), the highest ever by a Lion in a five-set contest.
A complete player at the net, Gockley ranks third in program history with 219 solo blocks and 430 total blocks while also ranking eighth in block assists with 211. She was equally valuable in the back row, finishing fifth all-time with 1,497 career digs. She also ranks seventh in career attack attempts (3,934), illustrating both her durability and central role in the Lions' offense.
Throughout her career, Gockley consistently led Missouri Southern in multiple statistical categories. In addition to pacing the team in kills all four seasons, she led the Lions in total blocks from 1994-96, solo blocks from 1994-96, and block assists from 1994-96. She also led the team in assists in both 1996 and 1997 while playing the most sets on the team in 1994, 1996, and 1997.
