Cherlin Antonio ruled out indefinitely with knee injury

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Top hitter Cherlin Antonio is out indefinitely with a knee injury, head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam announced Tuesday.

Antonio did not play in Syracuse’s defeat to Florida State on Sunday but competed in all three sets during SU’s loss to Miami on Friday, registering seven kills. Ganesharatnam said that Antonio saw a doctor when the Orange returned from Florida on Monday. He said it was too early to give a full prognosis.

“We just have to see how she progresses,” Ganesharatnam says, “But I’m very hopeful that we get her back before the end of the season.”

Antonio has been Syracuse’s top offensive threat all year, leading the team with 156 kills and 3.25 kills per set. Antonio also ranks fifth on the team with 57 digs. The Iowa Western transfer has recorded double-digit kills nine times, including a 19-kill onslaught with a .405 hitting percentage against Notre Dame in late September.

With Ariana Joubert out for the season and Raina Hughes still not at 100%, the Orange don’t have any fully healthy players who are natural outside hitters. Ganesharatnam, however, is optimistic about SU’s young core and said the team will “rely on everybody.”

“The group that is now back in is pretty much the group that carried us throughout the season,” Ganesharatnam said. “Veronica, Mira (Ledermueller), Alyssa (Bert), Lauren, those are the players that played the most matches, I think they’ve shown a lot of progress.”