SLIPPERY ROCK — Marissa Siebka’s left knee is swollen and bruised.

She can’t bend it.

In practice, she shoots free throws while teetering on one leg. She fires up jump shots with her left leg extended while hopping on her right foot.

Her junior season for the Slippery Rock High girls basketball team is over, but her impact on her young teammates is not.

“I just accepted the fact I can’t do anything about it,” said Siebka, who suffered the injury in the first minute of the game Jan. 8 against Mercyhurst Prep while making a move she had made a million times before. “Yeah, it’s sad and it’s hard sometimes, but I can help them get better, and I can help push them to get better.”

The 5-foot-10 Siebka, who can and has played every position on the floor, was averaging 14.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game before the injury and had already committed to play in college at Gannon University.

Gannon was at the top of her list of five schools and was a place where she felt she would be a perfect fit.

Now, she’s had to adapt to a new way to fit in for her high school team.

As a quasi-coach.

Siebka has been in charge of tutoring freshman Macy McCall. She coaches her hard from the bench during games, yelling instructions to her.

Slippery Rock coach John Tabisz said Siebka has been invaluable to him.

It’s also been heartbreaking for him to see her season cut short.

“There’s times when I see her out in the hall crying,” Tabisz said. “I can’t fathom what she’s going through. What she doesn’t understand is what she has done for this team in helping these young girls along. She has felt my wrath and with this team being so young, she told me, ‘You need to back off; they’re not ready for it yet.’ Finally, it sunk in to me.”

Siebka has become a perfect liaison between the team and their coach.

With four sophomores and a freshman starting now, Slippery Rock is 8-5 overall and 3-0 in the region.

“She’s perfect because she was put in the same position as a freshman, starting,” Tabisz said. “It might have been a little harder for her because she was playing with her older sister (Morgan). People think that’s great to play with your older sister, but she knows. It comes with some stress.”

Morgan Siebka, who is now a sophomore guard at Florida Southern, also suffered a torn ACL during her junior season in high school.

Marissa Siebka has leaned on her sister for support.

“She just keeps telling me to do what the therapist tells you,” Marissa said. “And you’ll get stronger out of it.”

Siebka is scheduled for surgery Jan. 28.

Until then, she does what she can around the gym and during games.

It’s not how she envisioned her season going, but it’s the fate she has been dealt.

“All I want to do is get better,” Siebka said. “And push myself to be better than I was.”

Related Article: NOTICES