One becomes a switch hitter in baseball to gain a strategic advantage.

The Lady Blues junior second team All-American outside hitter, Monica Miesner, is switching from her right hand to her left this year because she has to. After undergoing her second operation in April, Miesner still doesn’t have full control of her right arm.

“I really don’t know too much about my injury,” said Miesner. “My surgery, it takes a while, you have to take it a little bit at a time. It takes a year to get it fully recovered. It’s getting there, I just have to stick with my physical therapy.”

Miesner has been playing predominantly with her left hand since last spring. But she says things are getting better with each practice and with the help of her teammates.

“Well I think each practice is a step in the right direction,” said Miesner. “With each practice I’m getting use to the flow of the game. Hopefully eventually I will get in the flow of things and have everything back. My teammates have helped me get through it mentally.”

Miesner received a medical redshirt last year after only playing in 18 games and six matches. But the severity of the injury and estimated recovery time has changed drastically since then. After her injury the coaching staff was told it was minor and recovery would be swift.

“What we were told as coaches is that it was a minor thing and it should clear up in a very short period of time,” said Chris Herron, head coach. “Now you are talking a year and a half later and two surgeries later nothing has worked.”

“What does that tell you? It tells you that either the surgeries are performed wrong or the doctors don’t know what they are talking about. I’m not happy about it at all.” Herron concluded.

No coach in the country would be, especially after Miesner had a breakout sophomore season and showed no signs of slowing down. Miesner was named first team all-region, first team All-MIAA and first team Daktronics all-region in 2005, helping the Lady Blues to a school record 35 wins.

“I think that our training staff has done a phenomenal job working with Monica with her rehab,” said Herron.

The Lady Blues struggled to find answers to fill that spot last year especially when freshman Ashley Shepard went down with injury in the first MIAA tournament match. Miesner and Shepard had to watch their teammates from the sidelines as they made their run at the MIAA tournament crown and the NCAA tournament.

“It’s always hard to sit on the sideline and watch because you wish you could help them out,” said Miesner.

Senior two-time All-American Tessa Jones said the return of Miesner and Shepard has given the Lady Blues a boost.

“It’s really great,” said Jones. “They are great to have on the court. I think them being on the court just relaxes everybody.”