A year ago when Kiah Stokes began to experience pain in her ankle, she stubbornly continued to play figuring it was no big deal. Stokes learned the hard way to listen when her body is telling her something isn't right and that may have saved her from a more serious injury.

Stokes, a sophomore who is tied for the team lead with 12 blocked shots, complained about the pain in her right shin shortly after a Dec. 6 game against Penn State. Now Stokes is sidelined due to a stress reaction in the shin.


"It was bothering me for about a month and then one day in practice it just got really bad," Stokes said after Tuesday's practice. "I talked to Rosemary, she said to get a bone scan and this is what it is I guess. I think I will be back in the next couple of weeks

"It is just annoying , that is what it is. I was working so hard and then  have surgery (on her ankle) in the summer and be out and to get this ... This one is not going to be as long so it is not that bad but it is just annoying that I keep getting all of these setbacks. (She has to) just rest it and I do some electrical stimulations that is supposed to help bone growth I guess. I don't know if it works but that is what they have me doing, then icing and stretching. It started because of shin splints and developed into a stress reaction, they caught it early enough that it is not a stress fracture."

Stokes is definitely out for tomorrow's game against Oakland as if freshman Morgan Tuck who has a bone bruise in her right knee. She hopes to be back for the Dec. 29 game against No. 1 Stanford.

" I am not sure, doctor will take it day by day and we'll see how it goes. Last year with my ankle, I just played through it to the end of the season and I had a surgery. Probably if I would have stopped or rested it I might not have had to have surgery so they checked it early enough.

"I was really upset and frustrated, I called my mom and my dad and I was crying a little bit. My mom sent me some flowers and balloons to get well, she is thoughtful like that. My teammates are behind me which is the best part and it's better to take care of it now because later on in the season they are going to need me and I don't like being sidelined. When I found out I had surgery on my ankle I cried a little too. It wasn't like I was balling, it was one or two tears. It is like 'this is ridiculous.'"