"It felt like someone literally shot my knee. It was the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life."

That's what redshirt senior guard Abby Wolford said of her season-ending injury that kept her off the court for the entirety of her junior season more than two years ago.

Now, the West Harrison, Indiana native is averaging 8.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game after starting in each of the Lady Jackets' six games this season.

But the journey to captaining her team as a versatile leader on the floor has been no easy path.

Anger, jealousy, and tears plagued Wolford's recovery process as she fought to get back on the court. Weeks after tearing her ACL and both menisci prior to that junior season, emotions overwhelmed Wolford at times.

"I cried," Wolford said. "I remember watching my team practice and realizing I wasn't going to be on that court again for the rest of the year."
 
But last year, Wolford was primed for a comeback. After averaging 12 points per game in her sophomore season, buzz surrounded her as the Lady Jackets looked ready to get a blooming star back on the court.

However, Wolford's recuperation was far from smooth sailing. The day after getting to play with the team for the first time since the injury, she admitted her legs felt tired. Even so, Wolford decided to persevere and play the next day.

 

During that second day, Wolford said she felt an uncomfortable sensation in her knee. She didn't think it was a big deal, and took herself out of the game as a precaution.

"I remember feeling a pop and I kind of freaked out a little," Wolford recalled. "I subbed myself out and thought it was just scar tissue. I subbed myself back in and just couldn't run."

After seeing the team's athletic trainer, the prognosis wasn't good, but that wasn't revealed to her.

Unfortunately, Wolford would have to have surgery on her meniscus, but luckily, her ACL was not torn.

Her recovery this time was more strenuous than the first. She struggled with stability and the swelling in her knee refused to subside. After seeking additional medical attention, Wolford found out heartbreaking news.

For the second time in about a year, she had torn her ACL.

"I remember telling Reg (Hochstetler) that I can't do this again," Wolford said. "She encouraged me that I could do this and that this is my option to get back on the court."

While the mountain in front of her seemed impossible to scale, Abby's second ACL recovery was more efficient than her first. However, it would end up costing her a second season in a row.

But for this 2018-19 campaign, Wolford has made it back where she belongs: on the court.

While she dealt with ups and downs during the preseason this year, she recognized how lucky she was to be back on the hardwood.

"I remember feeling like a freshman again, being so excited to put my uniform on" Wolford said of returning to the team this season. "I was so grateful to be on the court, and told myself a bad practice is better than no practice at all."

And while Wolford still doesn't think she's at 100 percent continually, she says last week's win over Hillsdale was the first time she came close to that feeling.

Wolford was instrumental in pushing the Lady Jackets past the preseason G-MAC favorites, scoring nine points in the final two minutes of the third quarter to give Cedarville a huge momentum boost heading into the final frame.

While Wolford is in great shape to push the Lady Jackets to another season of competing for a G-MAC title, the trek to this point was far from smooth. She first gives credit to God, saying that the Lord has brought her through the injuries and how grateful she's been to be back on the court.

She also attributes the environment at Cedarville to what propelled her to battle through season-ending injuries in two consecutive seasons.
 

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"I say all the time, I could not have gone through those two years at any other school," Wolford declared. "The prayers, encouragement, my teammates, coaches, and athletic department. I feel so blessed."

On top of that, Wolford singled out former teammate Breanne Watterworth, a class of 2018 graduate, and said she couldn't have gotten through the two years without her. Watterworth came in the same class as Wolford and was her roommate for three years.

Wolford said Watterworth has sent her a text after every game this season. Current and former teammates like Watterworth are why Wolford said she was able to manage through the torment of not being on the floor.

The atmosphere at Cedarville is unlike any other, Wolford said. While she's successfully made it back onto the court, it doesn't seem like she will soon forget what her Cedarville family has done for her.

"We are a great basketball program," proclaimed Wolford. "But we are great teammates and great sisters in Christ. Cedarville has been the biggest blessing to me."

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