Casiey Dongallo is out for the remainder of UAAP Season 88 for the UP Fighting Maroons after suffering a knee injury.
The UP Fighting Maroons' bid for a Final Four breakthrough in UAAP Season 88 hit a snag on Saturday, March 14, as the team confirmed that star hitter Casiey Dongallo suffered a season-ending injury.
The UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development confirmed the news that Dongallo suffered a torn ACL and meniscus.
Dongallo hurt her knee during UP’s match against FEU on March 8.
UP head coach Fabio Menta is upbeat on how Dongallo will push through despite the setback.
"She's in a great mood. I'm surprised she never felt the desperation. She came to the (next) game, she comes to our training, still smiling," said Menta on his ward's state of mind.
"Now, we want to be optimistic. By late December or January next year, she'll be training again. Hopefully,” he added.
Prior to exiting the game against FEU, Dongallo was coming off of a 20-point performance in UP's win over two-time defending champions NU.
Despite Dongallo's injury, Menta remains optimistic of their chances this season. UP is currently 3-3 near the halfway point of the season.
"Casiey's a big loss, but the girls understand they need to do more now to compensate," he said.
"The girls are ok. They're working and hopefully, we find the right adjustments. We are preparing hard to do our best."
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.