Eleven months after tearing her ACL in a match against Ohio State, ending her 2001 volleyball season, junior outside hitter Lisa Zukowski has put her playing career into perspective and renewed her sense of joy and competitive spirit for the game.
“It was hard,” Zukowski said. “Watching your team finish the season without you is definitely rough, but you find good in every bad situation.”
The injury forced Zukowski to get back to the fundamentals, helping her achieve more consistency on the court. This season she is third on the team with a 2.50 digs per game average, and she has maintained her strong offensive output by averaging 3.03 kills per game.
For Zukowski, the injury not only meant that she would have to watch the rest of the 2001 season from the sidelines, but it also gave her a lot of time to think over her playing career.
“It makes you re-evaluate the reasons why you’re playing,” Zukowski said. “Sometimes it seems like a chore in college sports [practicing] day in and day out. [The injury] made me realize that some things are just really small.”
Although Zukowski is still not 100 percent, she has been able to perform at a higher level than many other collegiate volleyball players. Without fear of re-injury, Zuke, as she is known by her teammates, led the Badgers to a sweep in the Badger Invite two weekends ago, garnishing tournament MVP honors along the way.
“She makes a huge difference because of her attitude on the court,” said coach Pete Waite. “She’s such a spark plug, she’s pushing the players, she’s excited to be there, she’s giving them a big smile every time great things are happening, and that’s just the things besides the great passing, or hitting, or digging that she does. Last year we missed her, and this year it’s great to have her back.”
The biggest change Zukowski has made to her playing since her injury is the way in which she is serving. She has made a huge adjustment in where she starts her serving motion. Instead of standing near her own endline, she has moved back about ten feet and is hitting a floating serve that opponents have a hard time tracking.
For Zukowski, everything has started over since her surgery. Although it wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be, the injury has still had its side effects.
“I don’t think I’m 100 percent; I have a lot of soreness, and I have to work through a lot of pain,” Zukowski said. “I used to be a player who didn’t have to warm up, I could just go out there and play; [now] I’m a little more cautious with the things that I do.”
With great physical strength and mental perseverance, Zuke has returned to the starting line-up this season and has helped the 13th ranked Badgers to a 10-3 record. It appears that no matter what the obstacle has been for this junior, she has been able to overcome it and continue to give 100 percent.
“In the big picture, just take it for what it is, don’t think of all the bad,” Zukowski said. “Just go in and work hard, and that’s the only thing you can do.”
Since tearing her ACL, Lisa Zukowski has been able to prove to the rest of the world that she is not a quitter. Sports clichés aside, she has fought hard to get back to where she is today, and although she is almost physically the same as she was before, her increased mental prowess has allowed her to look at life with a whole new perspective. After all, Zukowski explains, “It could be worse.”
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