University of the East’s Mary Ann Mendrez has played through shoulder and knee pain throughout the UAAP Season 81 Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
Ultimately, it was tonsillitis that forced her to miss a game.
The fourth-year open hitter revealed that she experienced a fever towards the end of the Holy Week break, when she went back home to Baguio.
When she returned to Manila last Sunday, Mendrez said her condition worsened. She was diagnosed with tonsillitis.
Mendrez was forced to miss their match against La Salle, Wednesday afternoon, as she had not trained for weeks.
While missing one of their final two matches of the season was a bummer, the 20-year-old Mendrez was glad it gave graduating winger Jasmine Alcayde a chance to be in the starting lineup for the first time this season.
“Blessing in the disguise na din kasi nakalaro si Ate Jas (Alcayde) na first six.
“Last playing [year] na din niya. Maganda din na ‘di ako nakalaro para sama-sama silang graduating,” Mendrez said as Alcayde managed four points in a loss to the DLSU Lady Spikers.
With their season coming down to a final game against the league-leading Ateneo on Sunday, Mendrez is focused on giving her seniors Kath Arado, Judith Abil, Lai Bendong, Roselle Baliton, and Alcayde a good exit.
“Hindi na namin iniisip na Ateneo-La Salle ‘yung last two games namin. Iniisip na lang namin na lumaban lang kasi wala naman sa amin ‘yung pressure,” the 5-foot-9 spiker shared.
“All-out na lang kasi last two games na lamg and last playing years na ng iba.”
