DeLand, Fla. -- Around this same time last year, Brianna Schmid was preparing to make her Hatter volleyball debut.  The 6-1 junior middle blocker had transferred to Stetson from Robert Morris, where she led her team with 97 blocks in 2016.  She was looking forward to making a similar impact in her first season with the Hatters. 

Her knee, however, was not cooperating with that plan.

Schmid's kneecap is made up of two bones, instead of the usual one, a condition known as bipartite patella.  The cartilage between those two bones had become increasingly irritated throughout the preseason, and during the team's serve and pass practice on the day of the season opener, the pain had become intolerable.

"It was really painful to run and jump, which was awful because as a middle that is a lot of what we do," Schmid said.

The injury, coupled with a small meniscus tear, forced Schmid to miss the entire 2017 season.  Redshirting was certainly not what the Hatter junior had envisioned when choosing to come to Stetson to play for new head coach Yang Deng.  However, Schmid turned the situation into a valuable learning experience.

"The number one thing I learned was how much I value the opportunity to be on the court to get better and play with my teammates," Schmid said.  "I also feel I got to learn the game from a different perspective."

Schmid directed her time and energies into studying the position from the other middles and absorbing more of Deng's coaching philosophy and style of play.

"It was hard for her to have to sit out, but at the same time she knew that it would help her, too, to train for a year without playing," Deng said.  "She watched our team struggle and she knew what areas she needed to improve.  She definitely worked hard when she went home because she really improved her arm swing."

Back home in Wake Forest, N.C., Schmid put in a lot of effort over the summer.  She spent 30 minutes a day hitting balls against a wall to improve her swing, applying the skills the coaches had worked with her on during the spring.  She also kept up on the team's strength and conditioning program while continuing to get physical therapy on her knee.

"I wanted to make sure I came in prepared and ready."

Now, two weeks into practice, Schmid and her teammates have completed several intense two-a-day workouts plus a couple of scrimmages and exhibitions.  Deng says she likes the improvement she has seen in Schmid's game.

"You can tell she is getting better and more comfortable with her knee," Deng said.

With the season-opening tournament at FIU just days away, Schmid is once again anxiously awaiting the opportunity that has been over a year in the making.

"I am beyond excited," Schmid said about making her Hatter debut.  "I have missed playing so much and I cannot wait to see how we do this weekend.  I think the intrasquad scrimmage and the exhibition game vs. Daytona State prepared the team well and showed us what we should focus on in practice.  We want to come out and be ready to go at FIU."

Coming Thursday: 5 Things to know about Stetson Volleyball

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.