Other athletes redshirt as freshmen because of the roles upperclassmen all of the time - football being the notable sport where it occurs. There was a setter at PSU volleyball that was a top 10 recruit and redshirt her freshman year because the then senior setter was a 4x AA that was the best setter in the nation. It happens all of the time even without injuries.
Not sure why this isn't talked about more in the lacrosse world... | 
