The bump Viktorija Dimaite took in Saturday’s practice may have seemed ordinary to the untrained eye.
Coach Amanda Butler knew otherwise.
Dimaite will miss the season after suffering tears to the ACL and medial meniscus in her left knee.
She will undergo surgery after Thanksgiving.
“You have seen ACLs tear before where it was just slight and awkward enough that it seems like nothing,” Butler said. “Unfortunately, I have a little bit of a trained eye.”
While going through a low-post drill Saturday, a teammate hit Dimaite from the side, and she fell to the floor.
She was examined by Dr. Kevin Farmer, who decided an MRI would be necessary. Following a test on Monday, Dimaite found out her season was finished before it even began.
“It’s great evidence that we can have great plans as players or coaches and sometimes our timing is not what matters,” Butler said.
The injury is another setback for the native Lithuanian. Last season, Dimaite planned to redshirt to get stronger before she suffered a dislocated right ankle while preparing for the 2011 Under-20 European Championships. This season, she was expected to be a major contributor for the Gators.
“She had been practicing really well,” redshirt junior Lily Svete said. “We really did have high expectations for her.”
Dimaite is the third member of the current Gators roster to suffer an ACL tear.
Svete and redshirt freshman Carlie Needles each previously received a medical redshirt due to similar injuries.
Athletic trainer John Barrett said women are more susceptible to the injury than men.
“Women’s hip structures are inherently differently set up than men’s because they are child-bearing creatures,” he said. “Because of that, it puts more stress on the knees.”
Butler said Dimaite is disappointed but confident she will be ready to return next season.
“We’ve cried and been sad the past few days, but then you have to choose to recover,” Butler said. “That’s what we’ll see her do.”
