Another Comeback
SLIPPERY ROCK — Scars run deep and long across Marissa Siebka's left knee.
Three surgeries — two to repair a torn ACL and another to repair a shredded meniscus — have left her leg largely numb from the bottom of her knee down and wiped out nearly three years of a budding basketball career.
But the Slippery Rock High graduate and sophomore at Gannon University is not willing to surrender.
Not now. Not ever.
“I've never really thought about giving up,” Siebka said. “I haven't played a full season of basketball since my sophomore year in high school. I've never had a chance to prove myself. I love basketball and hopefully the third (surgery) is the charm.”
Siebka, a 5-foot-10 guard, was an explosive presence for the Rockets during her sophomore year and for the first eight games of her junior campaign.
Then her knee buckled and her ACL snapped during her ninth game on Jan. 8, 2015. Three weeks later she underwent her first surgery and was out for 10 months.
Already committed to play at Gannon University, Siebka came back to average 8.8 points during her senior year.
Then misfortune struck again.
Just 11 games into her freshman season at Gannon, she tore the ACL in the same knee again.
This time she waited nearly two months to have reconstructive surgery.
Siebka once again worked her way back to health, but during her first practice back on the floor with the Golden Knights, she tore her meniscus so badly it took 11 stitches and four bone anchors to repair.
It also caused nerve damage that may or may not subside.
“Everyone always says, 'Oh, a meniscus isn't so bad,'” Siebka said. “Not for me.”
Siebka has spent the time since launching yet abother arduous comeback.“I can't tell you what it's been like, what she's been going through,” said Siebka's former high school coach at Slippery Rock, John Tabisz. “I can only imagine it. For her to do what she's doing is remarkable. I have more respect for her than I can say. How hard she's worked to get back in unbelievable.”Tabisz would know.He's been working out with Siebka and her college roommate and teammate, Chelsea Rourke of Gibsonia, as many as four days a week to get her back into basketball shape.It hasn't been an easy road.Siebka has only been cleared to run for three weeks. She used the time in between to get stronger.Much stronger. So strong, in fact, that Tabisz urged her to ween off the weight lifting.“I told her she may be getting too muscle-bound,” Tabisz said.In the gym, though, Tabisz said Siebka is reinventing herself in new and exciting ways.“Basketball-wise, I know her better than anyone,” Tabisz said. “She's more fluid than ever. She's handling the ball better than ever. She worked on all of her weaknesses. She still has that quickness and explosiveness.”But Siebka won't really know until she steps out onto the court again in a game.That should come in the season-opener in November. Siebka is on track to be fully cleared by next month.“To be honest, I don't know what kind of player I will be when I come back,” Siebka said. “I've always been the type of player who is all over the court. I think I'm going to have so much excitement for that first game I'm going to have to run to get all that nervous energy out.“I've been working on my overall game in general, but the biggest thing is I'm working on my confidence,” Siebka added. “I'm just trying to get my edge back.”Siebka has no expectation for what will happen when the season tips off. She just wants to be in uniform and on the floor again in any capacity.It's the little things that drive her now since the biggest thing in her life has been ripped from her.Three times.“She's said, 'People don't know how hard it is to have something you love so much taken away from you,'” Tabisz said. “She has that drive. That's something no coach can give you, it's something you have down deep inside you.“I'm rooting for her,” Tabisz added. “If you're not rooting for her, there's something wrong with you.”
