The hot rod that is Emily Valli blew out a tire in 2009.
Toward the end of the field hockey season of her junior year at John Burroughs, Valli tore a ligament in her right knee. The injury sidelined her for the entire lacrosse season. Big things were expected out of her that year. As a sophomore, Valli was the state's player of the year, and the Bombers were the state champs.
Now fully charged and recovered, Valli is expected to again be a whirlwind force on the lacrosse field.
"Emily is the best two-way player in the state," Burroughs coach Megan O'Malley said. "She is fast, smart, and works harder than anyone. The way she moves and the quickness with which she makes decisions is something you can't teach. She is a raw athlete and a very skilled lacrosse player."
Valli, 18, has been champing at the bit to get back on the turf.
"The winter felt so long," she said. "I can't wait to be back playing with my teammates."
Because of the injury, Valli was out of action for six months. More frustrating than having to sit and watch was the fact that she felt like she could still play. Once rehab started, complications caused the knee to be drained on two occasions.
She emerged in the summer of 2010 ready to try out her new situation, although apprehensively.
"It was weird to actually play," Valli said. "I was wearing a brace, but it actually felt worse. Once I took the brace off I didn't feel like it would give out."
After some initial soreness and a little bit of swelling in those early months, her knee is now stronger than ever.
"She is doing excellent," said O'Malley, who was a national standout as a player for the University of Virginia. "It has not changed her first step or her instinct to fight for 50/50 balls."
In Valli's absence, the Bombers placed third in 2010.
"We bring back our core group," Valli said. "With our returning girls and Megan coaching us, I think we will do really well.
"Everyone has the big goal of winning it all, but we have set a bunch of little goals along the way that we're going to focus on accomplishing."
Valli will be taking her fleet feet to the next level, though her path to collegiate lacrosse came with some side turns.
After verbally committing to Massachusetts as a junior, the UMass coaching staff was then hired to pilot the women's program at Ohio State. Valli was given an assortment of options. She could honor her initial commitment to UMass, start the recruiting process all over again, or follow the coaches to the Big Ten. After visiting the Buckeye campus, the answer was easy, and now she plans to attend Ohio State.
"Everything clicked," Valli said. "I think things have worked out for the better."
