MONTALBAN, RIZAL — Imee Hernandez finally made her long-awaited return to the Premier Volleyball League taraflex on Saturday, ending a grueling 20-month recovery.
The 5-foot-11 middle blocker last suited up on November 11, 2023, when she suffered a left knee injury after landing awkwardly from an attack attempt during a match against Nxled.
Still battling nerves, Hernandez made her presence felt in her comeback, helping Chery Tiggo survive a tough four-set duel against Capital1, 20-25, 25-23, 25-12, 28-26, at the Ynares Center here.
The University of Santo Tomas product tallied eight points in just three sets — an impressive feat after nearly two years away from competitive action.
“Kanina nandoon pa rin ‘yung takot pero siyempre kailangan natin i-overcome kasi ako lang din naman sa sarili ko makakagawa ng paraan,” said Hernandez.
“Nandoon naman ‘yung [strength and conditioning coaches] namin, ‘yung PTs namin all throughout the game. Ramdam ko naman ‘yung kumpiyansa na binibigay sa akin ng teammates ko and especially ‘yung coaches ko. Kaya sobrang thankful ako,” she added.
(C) PVL Images
Hernandez rejoined team training on January 24, as Chery Tiggo officially announced her return on their social media pages.
Even during her long layoff, Hernandez stayed mentally locked in and committed to the road ahead, fully aware of the challenges her recovery would demand.
“Simula pa lang after nung surgery, talagang hinanda ko sarili ko kasi alam ko sa sarili ko na hindi magiging madali ‘yung process to recovery,” she recalled.
“Kanina lang din nag-synch in sa akin na maglalaro na ako today. Naiiyak ako kanina kasi sabi ko parang nag-flashback sa akin lahat ng pinagdaanan ko. Kino-communicate ko din sa mga ates. Nandoon sila, sinasabi nila na nandiyan sila for me and happy sila for me.”
With her first match back now behind her, Hernandez looks to steadily ramp up her performance as Chery Tiggo gears up for a back-to-back schedule.
The Crossovers take on Akari tomorrow before facing Cignal, Creamline, and ZUS Coffee in more Pool B action of the preseason tournament.
