University of the East's prized recruit, Jelai Gajero, was found to have suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in her left knee based on the results of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests.
The Lady Warriors were in search of their fourth straight win last Wednesday against the University of Perpetual DALTA and secured the first set at 25-22. The team was leading 15-11 in the second set when the outside hitter went for a block against a Lady Altas' spiker but experienced an awkward landing.
"Nung una po, nung pag-land ko -- wala naman po akong nararamdamang sakit sa tuhod ko before that, pero mali 'yung landing talaga po. Then, as I land, naramdaman ko po 'yung pag-twist ng leg ko sideways. And then, nag-pop po siya three times and then bumalik. Nung pag-land ko po hinawakan o na po 'yung tuhod ko," recalled Gajero.
("At first, when I landed—before that, I didn't feel any knee pain—but my landing was really off," Gajero recalled. "Then, as I landed, I felt my leg twist sideways. It popped three times and then went back. When I landed, I immediately grabbed my knee.")
The Naga City-raised upstart mentioned that the team's coaches and management tried to have her checked on the same day, but she had to wait until the following morning for the MRI results.
Gajero shared that she has an appointment with Dr. Randolph Molo of St. Luke's Medical Center on September 8, and if everything goes as planned, she will undergo surgery on the same day.
The wing spiker concluded her debut V-League Collegiate Challenge stint with 64 points, achieved through 59 attacks and five blocks.
