PEABODY — Bishop Fenwick basketball and volleyball standout Caitlin Boyle has made her decision; she will be continuing her basketball career at Stonehill College.
While her official visit isn’t until the fall, Boyle said she knows it’s the right place for her.
“Stonehill has a really good community and family atmosphere. I had visited the campus many times before and really liked it there and felt very comfortable being there,” she said. “I love the coaching staff and the players. They make it feel like home.”
The 6-foot-2 forward, a two-year basketball captain who will also serve as captain of the volleyball team this fall, was heavily recruited on the Division 1 basketball circuit. Among the other schools she considered were Loyola University, University of Maryland, LeMoyne University, West Point Academy and Harvard University.
A top-notch student, Boyle is a perennial honor roll member and two-year member of the National Honor Society. She carries a challenging course load, taking two Advanced Placement courses last year as a junior and three more this year. She is undecided about a major.
“It’s early and I’m just not sure yet,” Boyle said.
Considered by some to be one of the best post players in the state, Boyle had a breakout season as a junior in 2024-2025. She averaged 16.7 points and close to eight rebounds per game, earning Daily Item and Catholic Central League All-Star honors. Despite also contributing 1.7 blocks per game, Fenwick Coach Adam DeBaggis said she was rarely ever in foul trouble. He said Boyle brings strength to all phases of the game and is a true leader both on and off the court.
“I’ve known Caitlin since she was 10 years old because she always came to our summer camps. She’s always been an incredibly coachable and well-rounded player. She is 6-2, but she is one of the best ball-handlers, passers and shooters on our team, which is crazy,” DeBaggis said. “She can post up, shoot, and play defense. She leads with her voice. She just is all for us. The best part about her, though, is she’s just a great person with a great heart. I’ve been so lucky to have been able to coach her.”
At Stonehill, Boyle will be joining a Skyhawks program with a legacy including former Fenwick standout Amy Pelletier (2011). The 2015 Stonehill graduate set a program record for career 3-point field goals (262) and finished her career with 1,200 points as the 28th Stonehill player to top the 1,000-point mark.
At Fenwick, Pelletier was the fourth Crusader to top 1,000 points, finishing her four-year varsity career with 1,219 points, earning multiple Central Catholic League All-Star team nods.
Boyle said she is hoping to make a mark similar to the one left by Pelletier at Stonehill.
“It is really cool and I definitely want to try and leave a lasting legacy – just as she did,” Boyle said.
Boyle, who plays AUU ball for the MCW Stars, said dealing with Fenwick being banned by the MIAA from all postseason tournaments in 2023-2024 was tough.
“It was tough on everyone, especially for the seniors since it was their last year, but we just played for ourselves,” she said. “We went out every day, wanting to prove everyone wrong and show them that we wouldn’t just bow down because the ultimate goal of getting to the playoffs and competing wasn’t there.”
For now, however, Boyle isn’t living in the past; she is focused on the present, hopefully helping the Crusaders make a deep run in the Division 2 tournament this winter, which she hopes will lead to another state championship. Fenwick won its first championship in program history in 2016.
Last year, the Crusaders fell in the Round of 16 to top-ranked Medfield, which went on to capture the championship. Boyle said the loss was a learning experience that, hopefully, will pay off this year.
“I think we showed that we can really compete with the best in the state,” she said. “We were Medfield’s closest game in the tournament. This year, we just really need to trust in each other and buy into the process during the season.”
