Toni Basas’ status still uncertain ahead of UAAP Season 81

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.NET

MANILA, Philippines—Far Eastern University will enter the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament without one of its most reliable hitters in Toni Rose Basas.

Lady Tamaraws head coach George Pascua said Basas’ situation is still uncertain with the outside hitter still nursing a right shoulder injury she suffered before the start of the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference in 2018.

“Chinchin is at 50-50 right now because our main concern is the injury on her right shoulder, she still needs to have a medical clearance before she’s allowed to play,” said Pascua in Filipino Wednesday at FEU.

“We’re still hoping that she can come back. She didn’t report to us physically but we’ve been keeping tabs through chat.”

Basas also underwent an operation to fix her infected ear during the Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference.

The absence of Basas is a big blow to the Lady Tamaraws’ bid to get back to the championship round after they finished as the runners-up in Season 80.

Basas did average 11.7 points-per-game in Season 80 while playing a support role to captain Bernadeth Pons who averaged 15.4 a match.

Middle blocker Celine Domingo added that Basas is still resting from the two medical operations she went through and that her teammate is still with FEU.

“She’s just resting right now since she’s had an operation to cure her infected ear and she also suffered a shoulder injury but she’s still here in FEU,” said Domingo in Filipino.