MONTALBAN, Rizal — After 602 days, Imee Hernandez is back on a PVL court with Chery Tiggo.
It was a bumpy road to recovery for the 5-foot-11 middle blocker that was nearly two years in the making after an undisclosed left knee injury in the 2023 PVL Second All-Filipino Conference against Nxled.
In her long-overdue comeback, Hernandez delivered eight points as Chery Tiggo pulled off a four-set rout of Capital1, 20-25, 25-23, 25-12, 28-26 in the PVL on Tour.
READ: Chery Tiggo survives sluggish start to beat Capital1
To say the least, it was a nervy return to the taraflex for the former University of Santo Tomas standout.
“Kanina, nandun pa din ‘yung takot pero siyempre kailangan natin i-overcome kasi ako lang din naman sa sarili ko makakagawa ng paraan,” Hernandez said.
“Nandun naman ‘yung S&Cs [strength and conditioning coaches] namin, ‘yung PTs namin all throughout the game at ramdam ko ‘yung kumpyansa na binibigay nila sa’kin.”
Hernandez recalled how the road trip from Manila to Rizal was a rather calm one, before the nerves crept in the moment she stepped into the all-new Ynares Center II.
She was even on the verge of tears the moment her PVL comeback game went underway.
But the thing that got her through such a rough stretch in her career was taking time not only to prepare her body but also to sharpen her mind.
“Simula pa lang nung after nung surgery, talagang hinanda ko na sarili ko kasi alam ko sa sarili ko na hindi magiging madali ‘yung process to recovery.
“Kanina lang din nag-sink in sakin na maglalaro na ako today. Naiiyak ako kanina kasi sabi ko parang nag-flashback sa’kin lahat ng pinagdaanan ko.”
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