CHAMPAIGN — Ellie Holzman was just starting to get back on the court this spring. The early part of Illinois volleyball’s offseason workouts saw the 6-foot-2 outside hitter limited to passing drills.

Holzman had just transitioned to getting a few swings in when the NCAA canceled all remaining spring sports and any other organized team activities because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was just another setback in what had turned into a lengthy recovery process for the Illini freshman, who left campus like the rest of her teammates and headed home to New Orleans.

Preseason practices were just spinning up for Illinois last week, with preparation underway for the 2020 season. Holzman was feeling as good as she ever had, the nearly 18 months worth of rehab and recovery following intramedullary nailing surgery in her left leg to deal with tibial stress fractures had paid off.

“Quarantine was really a nice step back for me,” Holzman said. “I kept my head down and kept working and had a goal in mind of working toward this season.”

Then Holzman gave a soft, ironic laugh. Turns out it didn’t matter how good she was feeling in her full return to the court. The Big Ten’s announcement it was postponing all fall sports because of the ongoing threat of the novel coronavirus just became another roadblock between Holzman and her Illinois debut.

“It was kind of building up over a long period of time, so I don’t know how much of a shock it was,” Holzman said about the Big Ten’s decision. “But definitely hearing it was finally set in stone was really hard on all of us for sure.”

Illinois has kept practicing even after its season was postponed. Given the time away from the court Holzman was saddled with because of the injury and surgery before she arrived on campus a year ago, even competing with her teammates is enough right now.

“I’ve been so long without even just practicing,” she said. “Having the opportunity to get in and compete with my teammates for practice is super exciting for me still even without a season. I think I have a unique perspective on it. I definitely feel as good as I have in a very long time.”

Getting to that point took a long time. Holzman’s stress fractures were an overuse injury. They were also the first major injury she’d suffered in her volleyball career. That made the intramedullary nailing surgery, which involved inserting a rod into her left leg, a first, too.

The time immediately after that surgery meant zero activity. Even after Holzman was cleared to start the rehab process, there were plenty of painful days. More where she simply wanted to be back on the court again.

“I won’t sugarcoat it,” Holzman said. “It was a very hard year. Definitely something I was never used to. I was used to pretty much always being on the court. The whole mental aspect of wanting to show up every day even if I couldn’t be on the court and work hard for myself and my teammates was definitely the hardest part of all, but I think I’m a better player for it now.”

Holzman credited the Illinois coaching staff and her teammates for their support during her rehab and recovery. Strength and conditioning coach Emily Schilling pushed her physical limits. Now former athletic trainer Maggie Marion was there every day, every step of the way in the rehab process.

“It was definitely a big shock for me — something I was not used to at all,” Holzman said. “Those two really, even mentally, they kept me sane last year. I’m super grateful for them.”

Healthy now, Holzman has to wait for her Illinois debut. The Illini have to wait on the player that was their highest-ranked recruit in the Class of 2019 and Gatorade National Player of the Year after another stellar season at Mount Carmel Academy (La.) that saw her compile 2,426 kills, 1,379 digs, 754 blocks and 92 aces in four years.

Holzman’s focus and that of her team is on preparing for a potential rescheduled spring season. Competition levels are high in those Huff Hall practices. Holzman has approached it all with a sense of gratitude.

“It wasn’t easy, but I think it was a very valuable year for me,” she said of her redshirt season. “I definitely have a new perspective on the game and how grateful I am that I can play it and I’m back to a place I have been before. It definitely gives me a new sense of gratitude for what I’m capable of doing and what my body is able to do for me.”

{p class=”card-about”}Scott Richey is a reporter covering college basketball at The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).