Move over Aaron Rodgers: Jensen Beach volleyball star astounds with rapid return from torn ACL

Sarah Stouky (right) celebrates with Jensen Beach teammates during the Falcons’ state semifinal match to conclude the 2023 season.

Jensen Beach High’s Sarah Stouky is one up on NFL quarterback icon Aaron Rodgers.

While Rodgers is attempting to make a crazy comeback from an Achilles tear later this season with the New York Jets, Stouky has already made hers in volleyball.

After tearing an ACL in her right knee during a practice drill on Oct. 10, the day after Jensen Beach won the district championship over Okeechobee, Stouky returned to action — incredibly, unbelievably, and improbably — four weeks later in the Florida state semifinals in Winter Haven.

The 5-foot-4, red-haired Stouky wore a specially designed knee brace and a badge of courage. For an injury that shelves pro athletes for over a year, it was a stunner.

“I didn’t care if it meant life or death,’’ Stouky said. “I just wanted to play. I knew I could do it. I just wanted to play those last couple of games. I’d deal with the rest of it after the fact.’’

“The volleyball program, the JV girls, everyone who comes to games, all the parents, they were in complete disbelief and shock I was able to actually play.’’

She returned to practice with the brace on Nov. 5, trained for four days. Then late in the first set of the state semifinals, coach Mike Sawtelle inserted her to serve.

“I was scared for her,’’ Sawtelle said. “I didn’t want her to be hurt any more than she already was because she plays on playing in college. I didn’t want to damage her. Special determination and her mental state was what impressed me. Most kids tear an ACL and they’re done. They have that psychological fear. They’re afraid to come back and hurt themselves. That never entered her mind.’’

Sarah Stouky, Jensen Beach volleyball

The practice workout is called “the self-set backrow attack drill.” Stouky plays the position known as “libero’’ – the one who wears the different colored jersey and serves as defensive anchor on the backline.

Her 280 digs this season led Jensen Beach and she also added 175 service points and 36 aces. Stouky took 391 serve receive passes and only had 37 passing errors – a 91 percent success rate ranked one of the highest in the state.

None of those wonderful volleyball stats mattered now.

“Simple drill we’ve done a 1,000 times,’’ Sawtelle said. “She landed awkwardly. I watched the whole thing happen. She went down. We called the trainer. He thought it was a sprained ACL. The doctor did too.’’

The MRI showed a lot more damage – a complete ACL tear. “She was devastated,’’ Sawtelle said.

Stouky, who had played varsity volleyball since eighth grade, transferred from St. Lucie West Centennial to the powerhouse Jensen Beach program primarily to be part of a state-title run. Jensen Beach won the district title, then the next day her ACL was gone.

“When I was told the news, I broke down’’ said Stouky, who has a 3.89 GPA. ‘It didn’t feel real. This was my biggest fear I ever had and it came true.’’

When she told the doctor she still wanted to return, the remark didn’t sit well.

“The first doctor doubted me a lot,’’ Stouky said. “He was like: “This is an injury you get surgery and you’re out 6-8 months. Then we switched to a different doctor. The second doctor, he had belief in me I could do it. If it was a partial tear, it would’ve been different.

“Because it was completely gone, in my mind, I don’t have much to lose other than mildly hurting a few other ligaments. But I just wanted to play. My mom wanted that for me too.’’

Sarah’s mother, Keri, played high school volleyball at Port St. Lucie. “As a senior I wanted to go all out,’’ Stouky said. “I’m a fighter and have been through other injuries (torn thumb tendon). I wanted to make this year count.’’

Once she got the brace, she continued with physical therapy. “She said if I get a fitted brace can I play?,’’ Sawtelle said. “I said ‘Sure, no problem.’ But I didn’t think there was any chance that would happen.’’

Sarah Stouky (front left) plays with Jensen Beach teammates during the Falcons’ state semifinal match to conclude the 2023 season.

Nearly four weeks after the ACL tear, on Nov. 5, it happened. Stouky returned to practice. She had missed victories in the regional quarterfinals, regional semifinals and regional finals but she wasn’t planning on missing the state final four. Her teammates watched Stouky practice in awe.

“I could see by the looks on their faces they were like, ‘What the hell! This girl has a torn ACL and she’s playing,’” Stouky said. “Anytime I tell people I have a torn ACL and I’m standing and walking, they’re like ‘How are you doing that?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t even know.’”

“I knew I couldn’t go laying out for balls left and right,’ Stouky said of her first practice. “ I was also moving with a piece of hardware attached to my leg. It was hard. But after an hour, I got the hang of it.’’

This was a coaching dilemma for Sawtelle. “Her mobility was a little less, but she was doing everything you can possibly ask of her,’’ Sawtelle said. “I told her no promises when we get to the state semifinals. I didn’t want to play her if I didn’t have to. We were struggling so I said, ‘Sarah, OK, let’s see what you can do.’”

Stouky came in to serve – her specialty – with Jensen Beach leading by 21-20 and the school closed out the first set with a 25-20 win.

“I picked up where I left off when we won districts,’’ Stouky said. “The knee was tender but no excruciating pain.’’

A fairy tale victory never came as Barron Collier won the next three sets to advance to the state finals. But it felt like a fairy-tale story nevertheless. “I know my coach didn’t know if I could do it,’’ Stouky said. “I knew in my heart I was capable of achieving it.’’

The journey ahead is unclear as she still vies to play college volleyball. A handful of big-time programs contacted her before her injury – none since. There’s still hope she can escape surgery as her orthopedist, Dr. Lugo, is starting her on a 4-to-6 week physical therapy plan to strengthen muscles around the ACL.

“The knees are hiding the injury well,’’ she said. “The other ligaments of my legs are making up for the loss of my ACL.’’

Whether she decides on surgery or not, Stouky may take a gap year, play high-level club volleyball to stay sharp with playing in college still a goal.

As a result of this ordeal, Stouky has become well-versed on pro athletes suffering torn ACLs. She was watching with her boyfriend, a Giants fan, when their quarterback Daniel Jones went down and she immediately knew why.

As for Rodgers’ Jets’ comeback, Stouky says, “ I hope the best for him. Achilles tears are worse than ACL tears. But if he can do it, that would be actually a bigger miracle than mine. It would be insane.’’

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jensen Beach’s Sarah Stouky astounds with rapid return from torn ACL