BRODHEAD - After tearing her ACL, Carly Mohns couldn't watch the WIAA state basketball tournament last year.
East Troy, a Rock Valley North Conference team, was playing at state, and Mohns couldn't help but think what might have been.
"It was really hard," Mohns said of seeing East Troy make a run to state. "I wanted to be there playing with my team."
Mohns tore her anterior cruciate ligament on Jan. 20 in a 54-40 loss to Whitewater.
It's now about eight and a half months later, and she is back on the court playing volleyball and looking forward to basketball after overcoming an intense rehab.
Mohns, a junior, has already received scholarship offers from Illinois State and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and is receiving recruiting interest from Iowa State, the University of Wisconsin, Drake, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Bradley.
Mohns has also visited Iowa and plans to visit again in hopes of meeting players and coaches and seeing a basketball game.
"My dream since I was little has been to play college basketball," Mohns said.
She said she's undecided about where she will go to college and she's considering majoring in natural resources or personal athletic training and coaching.
Mohns, a 6-foot, 1-inch center, averaged 14.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game last year, but she remains humble about her prep success and the recruiting process.
"I know I could not have done it without my parents and teammates," Mohns said. "It's an awesome experience. I wouldn't be here without their support."
Mohns completed a long road of physical therapy to get back on the court, missing nine regular season games and three playoff games last year. She has worked with a personal trainer and worked on reconditioning her leg in the swimming pool. She said she has completed single leg squats.
"They really work my quad and hip muscle," Mohns said. "It helps strengthen them."
Even though she couldn't make cuts on the court, Mohns still found time to work on her game in the summer. She went with her father to the gym to work on her outside shooting.
"I worked on my mid-range jumper and 3-point shot," she said.
Brodhead girls basketball coach Brad Pickett said he is excited to see Mohns back and competing.
"She has worked hard to get back to where she is," he said. "It's good for the volleyball team and the basketball team that she is back."
Unfortunately, even with Mohns on her way back to the court, the injury bug has hit the Cardinals elsewhere.
Since Mohns' injury, Taylor Douglas tore her ACL playing basketball during the softball season, and Amanda Pickel broke her ankle in a summer league softball game: an injury that required pins be inserted. With all that, the Cardinals started the volleyball season without three starters and will also be short two starters when the basketball season tips off.
If there was any silver lining with all the injuries, Mohns sees it now.
"Some of the girls have really stepped up," Mohns said. "The team we have coming back could be better and get to state."
Confidence remains high, and Mohns knows that the basketball season, like her own recovery, will take patience.
"Our main goal is to win conference. We can't just jump to sectionals and state," she said. "Once we get Taylor and Amanda back, we will be healthy. We just have to take it one game at a time."
East Troy, a Rock Valley North Conference team, was playing at state, and Mohns couldn't help but think what might have been.
"It was really hard," Mohns said of seeing East Troy make a run to state. "I wanted to be there playing with my team."
Mohns tore her anterior cruciate ligament on Jan. 20 in a 54-40 loss to Whitewater.
It's now about eight and a half months later, and she is back on the court playing volleyball and looking forward to basketball after overcoming an intense rehab.
Mohns, a junior, has already received scholarship offers from Illinois State and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and is receiving recruiting interest from Iowa State, the University of Wisconsin, Drake, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Bradley.
Mohns has also visited Iowa and plans to visit again in hopes of meeting players and coaches and seeing a basketball game.
"My dream since I was little has been to play college basketball," Mohns said.
She said she's undecided about where she will go to college and she's considering majoring in natural resources or personal athletic training and coaching.
Mohns, a 6-foot, 1-inch center, averaged 14.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game last year, but she remains humble about her prep success and the recruiting process.
"I know I could not have done it without my parents and teammates," Mohns said. "It's an awesome experience. I wouldn't be here without their support."
Mohns completed a long road of physical therapy to get back on the court, missing nine regular season games and three playoff games last year. She has worked with a personal trainer and worked on reconditioning her leg in the swimming pool. She said she has completed single leg squats.
"They really work my quad and hip muscle," Mohns said. "It helps strengthen them."
Even though she couldn't make cuts on the court, Mohns still found time to work on her game in the summer. She went with her father to the gym to work on her outside shooting.
"I worked on my mid-range jumper and 3-point shot," she said.
Brodhead girls basketball coach Brad Pickett said he is excited to see Mohns back and competing.
"She has worked hard to get back to where she is," he said. "It's good for the volleyball team and the basketball team that she is back."
Unfortunately, even with Mohns on her way back to the court, the injury bug has hit the Cardinals elsewhere.
Since Mohns' injury, Taylor Douglas tore her ACL playing basketball during the softball season, and Amanda Pickel broke her ankle in a summer league softball game: an injury that required pins be inserted. With all that, the Cardinals started the volleyball season without three starters and will also be short two starters when the basketball season tips off.
If there was any silver lining with all the injuries, Mohns sees it now.
"Some of the girls have really stepped up," Mohns said. "The team we have coming back could be better and get to state."
Confidence remains high, and Mohns knows that the basketball season, like her own recovery, will take patience.
"Our main goal is to win conference. We can't just jump to sectionals and state," she said. "Once we get Taylor and Amanda back, we will be healthy. We just have to take it one game at a time."
