The junior outside hitter returned to action last Tuesday after suffering a concussion three weeks ago. In her first match back against Notre Dame-San Jose, Frappier recorded a career-high 25 kills in the Knights’ four-game win.

Two days later, the 5-foot-11 standout had 16 kills — including six in the final set — and 14 digs in a nail-biting 28-26, 13-25, 25-15, 20-25, 16-14 win over Harker. Over the weekend, she helped lead the Knights to a 4-1 record to finish in 17th place out of 32 schools at the Milpitas Spikefest II.

And Frappier did all of this while being under the weather. For her efforts, Frappier is the Daily Journal’s Athlete of the Week.

“She was sick but played awesome,” Knights coach Chris Crader said. “Six kills in Game 5? That’s being good at the right time. And she couldn’t be stopped (last Tuesday).”

When Frappier saw the final stats after the Notre Dame match, she was surprised to see she had finished with so many kills.

“I thought I was playing well but not that well,” she said. “I was so anxious to play and ready to get back on the court that I played the game of my life.”

Frappier’s injuries this season — she also had knee issues before the concussion — are symptomatic of Menlo’s problems this season. The Knights (3-5 West Bay Athletic League, 14-17 overall) have been hit hard by a number of freak injuries, a big reason why the four-time defending Central Coast Section Division IV champions are in danger of missing the postseason for the first time in a long time.

After dealing with knee issues midway through the season, Frappier sustained a concussion three weeks ago after being tackled in a powder-puff football game involving Menlo’s junior class vs. the seniors. Mind you, there’s not supposed to be any tackling in this game, but obviously not everyone got the message.

Seems like the powder and the puff was missing from this year’s version, and Frappier paid a heavy price. All told with the knee and head injuries, she missed eight matches and played sparingly in three others, during which time Menlo went 2-9. Crader said it was difficult overcoming the loss of the team’s best player.

“I would say if she’s healthy she’s the best player in the league,” Crader said. “No disrespect to Mary Alice O’Reilly (Mercy-Burlingame) and Christine Renschler (Sacred Heart Prep), but when Allie is healthy it’d be pretty easy to pick her No. 1 because she does everything well. If she practiced for two days, she could probably make a pretty good setter. It’s obviously better to have her on your side than the other side.”

After an outstanding match against Notre Dame, Frappier and Crader admitted she wasn’t at her best against Harker. Frappier actually sat out Game 4 because of her illness but came back strong when it counted the most — in the final set.

She scored three of the Knights’ final five points, allowing them to pull out an extraordinary victory. Menlo faced two match points down 14-12, and was down 24-20 in Game 1 before staving off four game points in taking the opener. Instead of feeling pressure, Frappier thrives in pivotal moments.

“I’m able to stay calm through stressful situations,” she said.

Frappier’s late-match dramatics was no surprise considering the way she’s played since stepping on the Menlo campus. In her first two years, Frappier impressed with an overall skill set that belied her youth. She graded well in every phase of the game, and unlike some outside hitters, never has to be rotated out for defensive purposes.

With a vertical leap that allows her to touch a mark of 9-foot-8, Frappier explodes off the floor to power down kills. Despite the setbacks this season, Frappier said she’s better equipped to handle adversity. She plays for one of the top club programs in the country, Vision, and credits club director Joe Ripp for making her mentally tougher. Last summer Frappier earned all-tournament honors at the prestigious Junior Olympics, where Vision’s 16-and-under open team placed fifth.

It was a great experience for Frappier, who plans on making Vision’s 17-and-under open team when the next club season begins. Until then, Frappier plans on leading Menlo to a couple of more victories — the Knights have two league matches left, both next week. If they can win both, they’ll end up .500 in league and be eligible to make the playoffs.

“It’s been a tough year but we’re working hard to get through it,” Frappier said. “I know if we can make the playoffs, we’ll be a dangerous team.”

Especially with a healthy Frappier in the mix.