UST rookie Alessandrini set to miss rest of 1st round due to shoulder injury

University of Santo Tomas’ campaign in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament is off to a rough start.

The Golden Tigresses not only lost libero Rica Rivera due to injury, but also their prized rookie Milena Alessandrini.

UST head coach Kung Fu Reyes said Sunday that Alessandrini will be out for the rest of the first round after the Filipino-Italian spiker suffered a partial tear in her right shoulder.

“She has a strain on her right shoulder but she still tried to fight earlier,” said Reyes in Filipino after their four-set loss to Ateneo, 25-16m 22-25, 22-25, 23-25, at Filoil Flying V Centre. “Despite her injury, she still has the drive and the willingness.”

“If you’re injured, no matter what you try to do you will be hurt but she fought until the end.”

According to a source, doctors in UST told Reyes to give rest Alesssandrini even before the Ateneo game but the magnitude of the match became a necessity for the rookie to be put in the lineup.

Despite the hurting shoulder, Alessandrini was still able to put up 11 points, one point shy of her 12-point average prior to the duel.

Reyes said it will be up to the rest of the team to carry the scoring load and lift UST from its 1-2 record.

“I won’t gamble it anymore, the other players will have to step up because if I played Alessandrini even more she might be sidelined for an even longer period,” said Reyes.