After sustaining a right ankle sprain against the NU Lady Bulldogs on Saturday, Golden Tigress Milena Alessandrini begged off from playing against the Adamson Lady Falcons on Wednesday and told the team she wanted to play as libero, UST head coach Emilio “Kung Fu” Reyes said.
Alessandrini wore a libero uniform during warmups but did not enter the game, which the Tigresses lost in straight sets, 25-15, 25-17, 25-19.
Reyes said Alessandrini had not been participating in drills that involve jumping since Monday but assured Thomasians that her injury was nothing serious.
“We tried to convince her na maglaro kung kakayanin, pero siya mismo ang nag-beg off and she wanted to play libero,” Reyes said.
“Hindi naman naming pwedeng ipilit sa kaniya kasi alam niya naman kung ano na ‘yung nararamdaman niya. For the past three years, siya ‘yung nakakaramdam naman no’n.”
Last March 4, in the third game of her Season 85 comeback campaign, Alessandrini tweaked her right ankle after going for a block in the fourth set. Alessandrini returned to the game in the fifth set and scored three crucial points to help the Tigresses stun the Lady Bulldogs and become the first team to topple NU since April 27, 2019.
“Hindi seryoso [‘yung injury], kasi kung seryoso ‘yun, di ‘yan makakabalik [sa fifth set],” Reyes said.
“Siguro part na rin yung adrenaline rush niya noon with the people cheering her name, kaya siya nakabalik.”
The Golden Tigresses are hoping to get Alessandrini back when they face the UP Lady Maroons on Saturday.
“Baka naman. Sana naman. Pero naka-ready naman kami,” Reyes said. with reports from John Peter L. Cajayon
