Forward Nicci Moats, who missed most of her freshman season for the Tennessee Lady Vols because of personal issues before transferring to James Madison, has taken a leave from her new team for the same reason.

Moats, who missed her entire first season at James Madison with knee and back injuries, has left school to “deal with some personal issues,” coach Kenny Brooks told The Daily News Recod.

The 6-foot-2 forward isn’t transferring. But Brooks said he did not know whether Moats would return to play in 2009-10.

“Right now, she just needs to deal with the issues,” Books told the newspaper. “She needs to step away from basketball.”

Injuries cut Moats’ career short at Tennessee, as well. She played only nine games for the Lady Vols as a freshman in 2006-07 before taking a medical leave because of a streak of illnesses: tonsillitis, strep throat and the flu. The Daleville, Va., native said she transferred to James Madison for a fresh start closer to home.

Moats did not have to sit out a season at James Madison, because the NCAA granted her a medical waiver. But she was still recovering from a knee injury when she arrived at James Madison last summer, while also dealing with a muscle problem and pinched nerve in her back.

“It’s just unfortunate,” Brooks said of Moats. “She dealt with injuries a lot, so she never was really the player that she probably could have been before injuries.

“I don’t look at is so much so as a lost opportunity because of a Tennessee transfer. I look at it as a lost opportunity for her to be able to reach her dreams of playing college basketball.”