Sports - Local Colleges

POSTED: Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2009

WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Robinson returning to Vikings

Krystal Robinson, who was an assistant women's basketball coach at Western Washington University last season, has decided to return to the court for the Vikings in 2009-10 and use her last year of eligibility.

The 6-foot-1 forward from Kent, who ranks second among school career leaders in blocked shots with 190, ended what was going to be her senior season in 2007-08 when she suffered a torn ACL in her left knee in an exhibition game against Pacific Lutheran. The previous week, Robinson had been named all-tourney at Disney's Division II West Coast Tip-Off Classic.

So for the second time during her career which began in 2003, Robinson received a medical redshirt from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. She also got one after playing in just two games during the 2005-06 season before being sidelined with a patella stress fracture in her right knee.

"I'm so excited to come back and end my career the way that I wanted it to end," said Robinson. "I'm really looking forward to the upcoming season."

Robinson, who obtained a bachelor's degree in general studies from Western in the spring of 2008, will be taking a program in pre-nursing. The NCAA has granted her a waiver to play while in her sixth year of school.

Robinson received all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference honorable mention in 2006-07. She started all 28 games that season, averaging 10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks, leading the league and ranking fourth nationally in blocked shots.