Petro Gazz import Lindsey Vander Weide didn’t think she would still be able to return from an early ankle injury during their PVL quarterfinals game against Creamline on Monday.
Vander Weide hurt her right ankle in the first set after a bad landing and was grimacing in pain while she was being wheeled off the court. ‘Initially, when it happened, I didn’t think that I was going to be able to come back because it swelled up so much,’ said the American reinforcement.
Somehow, she felt better and came back in the fourth set, helping the Angels restore order and close out the Cool Smashers, 25-23, 25-19, 16-25, 25-14.
‘I don’t feel amazing at this moment. But of course, for this team, when they needed me, I was ready to go,’ said the former Best Import and Finals MVP.
‘But once I started moving it again, and I was able to put my full weight on it and at least jump maybe half my vertical, I knew that I could at least go into play a little bit,’ she added.
When she went down, she knew that her teammates would step up, especially Myla Pablo, who unleashed a game-high 26 points.
‘I knew the team could do it without me. I had complete faith in them. But I said, if the girls need me, I’m ready to go in at any point,’ she said.
Petro Gazz coach Gary Van Sickle was all praise for Vander Weide’s resiliency.
‘Lindsey is a strong-minded person, so when she told me she could go, I kept asking her if she’s sure, she’s good, and said she said she’s there if we need her,’ said Van Sickle.
‘She told me she could do it so I felt confident by putting her in there. I think that gave us the extra lift and she puts up a big block on that right side so I think that made their hitters think a little bit more.’
Vander Weide hopes to fully recover from the injury in time for Petro Gazz’s knockout semifinal game against No. 8 Akari, which stunned top seed Farm Fresh earlier.
‘We just have to attack the game how we’ve attacked the last three games. I feel like we’re in a really good way right now. Our mentality is really strong. Akari gave us a fight last time we played them. I think it was five sets, five hard sets,’ she said. ‘And I know it’s going to be a similar match. So, we just have to go in strong-minded and keep playing how we’ve been.’