Athletic setback leads to comeback

By Meredith Haas ‘24, staff writer

A women’s tennis player was able to turn a major injury into a success story.

The possibility of injury looms overhead as an athlete’s worst nightmare, and this is a nightmare that one athlete is familiar with.

Nicole Honrade, a junior on the women’s tennis team, expected April 28 to be just like every other match, but that was not the case. A few games in and one week before conference playoffs, no one would expect what was coming.

“I was running for a ball and felt my left knee dislocate in the middle of a point,” Honrade said. “I remember falling down and yelling for the trainers.”

Shankroff Tennis Center went quiet as spectators and players tried to grasp what had happened. Trainers rushed to help Honrade, where she was carried off the court.

It took an MRI to confirm that the injury was an ACL tear, and surgery was quickly scheduled for the beginning of summer.

“I was devastated,” Honrade said. “When I was told I wouldn’t be able to compete again for at least nine months, I felt like a huge part of me was ripped away. I was also angry because all of the hard work I had put into the season was ruined by a single moment.”

The road to recovery wasn’t easy, requiring physical therapy two to three times a week after surgery, as well as frequent check-ups with her surgeon. As Honrade began to gain some function of her knee, the next step was working with LVC’s athletic trainers to begin getting ready for a return to competition.

Flash forwards several months, and Honrade has returned to action on the tennis court, resuming her position right back among the top of the team’s lineup.

“It was definitely a long, slow process to get back to normal,” Honrade said. “It feels amazing to be back on the court and competing, all the hard work and time I put into these past 9 months is finally paying off.”

Making it to the championship last year and picked second in the pre-season polls, the LVC women’s tennis team is undoubtedly going to be even stronger with Honrade back on the roster.

While this setback would likely have kept many athletes away from their respective sports, the same could not be said in this instance. Instead, Honrade has a new appreciation for what it means to be an athlete.

“If this experience has taught me anything, it’s to be grateful for your body and never take your abilities for granted,” Honrade said.