JAY — For much of last year, Victoria Ouellette had her sights set on this basketball season.

She had missed much of her junior year to a knee injury. She skipped summer basketball to rehab and prepare for this winter. She even considered not playing field hockey in the fall, just so she’d be ready for basketball.

The field hockey season went fine and Ouellette was there in the Spruce Mountain lineup as planned on opening night last month. Then just days later, her season changed just as suddenly as it had a year ago.

“I made it through the whole practice,” Ouellette said. “We were just going over plays. I just made a slight pivot towards the basket to catch a pass, and I just went down.”

Ouellette’s season was in jeopardy once again. The senior year she has prepared for has become another season full of question marks, rehab, waiting and hoping.

“I thought I was going to be able to play,” the senior forward said. “I didn’t think I’d be missing anything. Then I played one game and I was out five games. That was very disappointing and it was scary because I didn’t know if it was my ACL again.”

The prognosis was that it’s a slight tear in the meniscus. She’s hoping she can still play on it and get through the season. She started playing again a week ago, returning to action at Mountain Valley, the same gym where she injured it the first time last season.

“That’s where I got hurt,” she said. “I was so nervous to go into that game. That’s where it all happened. We were so stressed but everybody was very supportive.”

Though her knee has been weak at times, her heart and committment has been relentless. She’s been focused and determined to end her senior year on the court — playing a game so many others can easily take for granted.

“Victoria has been incredible with her work to rehab this nagging knee injury,” Spruce Mountain coach Gavin Kane said. “She has battled through a lot of ups and downs with numerous setbacks but has been determined to keep at it and help her team.”

It was against the Falcons last year that she hurt the knee. Her knee cap popped out momentarily. As she walked off the court alonside a trainer, she went down when the knee popped again. The hope initially was that she might be able to return during the season, but it was eventually determined that she had a torn ACL and meniscus tear in her right knee. Her season was over.

It was devasting news for Ouellette and her team. She’s a tremendous leader in the Phoenix lineup and a hard working post player on a team that doesn’t have great size.

“We missed her presence,” Kane said. “Vic brings a tremendous work ethic and energy and enthusiasm level to our team. We missed that when she went down with the injury last season.”

In the Western B quarterfinal loss to Wells, not having Ouellete’s talents in the lineup was a factor.

“Most people don’t understand the impact of not having Vic playing had on that game,” Kane said. “When we beat Wells in a Christmas tourney game, she had done a great job defending Wells’ best player.”

Ouellette spent the summer rehabbing her knee and strengthening it. She missed the summer season with her Phoenix teammates as well as her AAU season.

Though she’s an excellent field hockey player, Ouellette considered sacrificing the fall season to save herself for basketball.

“I was just going to focus on basketball,” said Ouellette, who had few problems with her knee in the fall. “Towards the end of the season, I had a little bit of a problem that’s like the problem I have now. There’d be a little bit of a shift.”

She felt her knee cap shifting, but it was something she could continue to play through. Then came her setback during practice the week after the Phoenix’s first game.

“It’s crazy,” Ouellette said. “I got through field hockey almost perfectly fine until the end. Then in basketball, I thought I might have to sit out the rest of my senior year. But I keep reminding myself that it’s worth it because I don’t want to be out again for the rest of the season.”

She could have had surgery on the knee but that would definitely end her season. An operation may ultimately not be needed. So her hope has been to keep her knee improving and make it last the season.

Ouellette has been trying to work her way back into the lineup and returned to the court last week and played a few minutes at Mountain Valley. She’s expected to see limited action here and there the rest of the way.

“I’m playing in practice most of the time,” she said. “I’ve gotten a few minutes in the last two games. I’m trying to make it last until the playoffs. That’s the ultimate goal. I’m just trying to rehab it until playoffs.”

She’ll likely be in and out of the lineup the rest of the regular season. She trying to develop a schedule in which she can get the most out of her knee while also saving the wear and tear on it.

“It feels pretty strong,” she said. “It feels stable. Sometimes when I’m sliding I can feel it give a little bit. Sometimes jumping on my right knee it will feel a little weaker. Other than that, it feels strong.”

She’s planning to study occupational therapy in college but hasn’t chosen a school yet. She’s even contemplated the idea of playing sports but isn’t sure how realistic that might be.

“I’ve thought about possibly trying field hockey, but I really don’t think my knee will last a college career,” she said.

kmills@sunjournal.com

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