Sacramento State’s volleyball team welcomes back sophomore Anna Schoener after a rough two-year absence due to injuries.

In 2007 and 2008, the NCAA awarded Schoener two medical redshirts due to a shoulder injury, followed by a knee injury.

Schoener said she began feeling pains in her shoulder during the 2006 season. She neglected the injury until she could not take the pain. In 2007 she went to see a doctor, and found out she had a torn labrum. The doctor recommended she take a leave of absence to recover.

“It was one of those things, my shoulder hurts really bad but I am going to play because this is fun, this is volleyball,” Anna Schoener said. “I am not good at pulling myself out.Even now, if my shoulder is bothering me I still have a hard time asking can I have a break. Actually I do not ever ask for a break.”

Sac State women’s volleyball head coach Ruben Volta said he knew that Anna Schoener’s injuries would not bring her down.

“She is a very motivated individual. Schoener is the type of person that when she is injured she is going to be working her tail off to get back into shape,” Volta said.

Anna Schoener’s family was devastated after she was injured a second time, but they knew her will and determination would see her through.

“I hurt just as much as she did. It was awful because I really enjoy watching her play,” said Pete Schoener, Anna’s father. “It is part of my life. I come to all the home games. I just had to keep telling myself, ‘she will come back better and stronger. She will be back.'”

Anna Schoener said her absence from playing was a huge void that could not be replenished by anything else.

Anna Schoener said her knee injury is a blessing in disguise.

“When I came back in 2008, my shoulder was not ready. My doctor said it was OK for me to go back but I was not playing like I used to play,” she said. “It was frustrating, and that extra year gave me time to get my strength back. My shoulder is way better, and my knee feels better.”

Pete Schoener said sometimes you have to use dark humor to get you through the bad times.

“When she hurt her knee she saw the same nurse as she did with the first injury. The nurse said ‘I recognize you from last year.’ When we were leaving the appointment the nurse asked Anna ‘so are we going to see you here next year?'” he said.

Volta said he could not help but to feel responsible for Anna Schoener’s setbacks.

“I felt kind of bad because she did all that work and then came back and injured her knee in practice,” Volta said.

Anna Schoener has always been ambitious in everything she does. At Union Mine High School in El Dorado, she brought a lot of competitiveness to the volleyball program.

“Anna was an integral piece to our success here at Union Mine High School. Anna brought a lot of hard work and passion to the team. Although rare, people do receive multiple redshirts from the NCAA. Hopefully Anna can stay healthy this season and utilize this amazing opportunity because she is a great talent,” said Dave Johnson, Union Mine High School athletic director. “It is always great to see our athletes succeed at local universities. We have been following Anna’s collegiate career and we wish her much success in the future.”

It has seemed like a very long two years to Anna Schoener but now she is back on the volleyball court.

“It feels like I am home,” she said.

Anna Schoener’s coaches have understood her drive and determination for a long time now.

“We first saw her play her sophomore year in high school and we knew even at that time that she was an athlete that we liked,” Volta said.

Volleyball is not just a sport to Anna Schoener, it is nirvana for her.

“Everybody has that special place they go when something is not going right; whether it be you’re upset, or you’re hurt or you just need to be alone and volleyball does that for me. Volleyball is my special place,” she said.

She said volleyball has played a big role in shaping who she has grown into.

Some of the traits that have helped Anna Schoener return to the sport she loves comes from her father.

“I have been participating in athletics all of my life. (When) you receive injuries you just heal from them and go back at it,” he said.

Anna Schoener is back, she has set high goals for herself and is eager to better assist the team.

“It is really hard to return with the same confidence as before. I want to get that swagger back,” she said.

Her family is proud of the progress she has made.

“I am impressed with where she is right now,” Pete Schoener said.

Anna Schoener said that it is coming slowly and she knows that it will take time.

“I feel I have to prove myself,” Anna Schoener said. “The confidence is going to come back fast, I plan to prove it to everyone.”

Poetiic Reid can be reached at [email protected]