During a heated third set with the TIP Lady Engineers, UST skipper Carmela Tunay broke her nose.
With the third set tied at 24-all, TIP’s Hezzymei Acuña went for a drop shot from the back row causing multiple Thomasians to form a virtual campfire when they tried to pancake the ball alive. Their attempt to keep the point failed and after the smoke cleared, Mela Tunay struggled to get up.
Apparently, the fifth-year opposite hitter’s face collided with Pam Lastimosa’s elbow. Tunay had to be helped out of the court and into their locker room. Tunay said that she was struggling to breath and felt dizzy. When EMT’s failed to stop her nose from bleeding, Tunay was rushed to the UST hospital. Initial reports from the team’s staff state that she fractured her nose.
“Nilaro namin ‘yung fourth set para kay Mela,” said UST head coach Kungfu Reyes whose team breezed through the Lady Engineers in the fourth set. “Kung hindi man makabalik si Carmela next game, lalaruin namin ‘yung next games para kay Carmela. Nandiyan naman si Chloe (Cortez) para palitan siya sa first six. Pero iba pa rin kapag si Carmela ‘yung naglalaro. Pero hopefully by tomorrow ok na siya,” added Reyes who described Mela’s injury as “parang nasuntok ni Donaire.”
Tunay had been blistering through the V-League season, averaging more then double-digits per game and leading her team to a 3-1 record. She had tallied eight points before leaving the match.
Update: On her twitter account, Mela Tunay confirmed that she suffered a fractured nose.
