A couple years ago, they changed the redshirt rules for football such that a player can play in three (?) games and still "redshirt". There was talk about doing something similar for basketball, but as far as I know, they have not.
Other than that one exception, as far as I know, redshirt is an absolute; step on the field, or the ice, and the redshirt is gone. That's why the only thing I can think is if one of those years she played an early game and then was injured the rest of the year, such that she could have applied and gotten a medical hardship year.
Fair enough; hope someone else has the answer.
Yeah, it was Football I was thinking of in connection with one of my questions. And the number of FB games may actually be 4; though that would need to be checked.
At the risk of stating the obvious: It's ridiculously inconsistent (if not hypocritical) that you can play 25% of the season and still redshirt in one sport, yet mop up duty amounting to less than one period kills a hockey season.