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...
It’s a money / scholarship issue. Women’s Lacrosse ha a maximum of 12 scholarships (divided between 30 + players). In most situations coaches want their best players on the field which means the top freshmen play. If the player is a second tier freshman why would the coach want to commit to an additional year? The coaches want to use the scholarship $$ on the next top tier freshman.
