Glad to be back
Brownsville grad Dellarose returns from injury for UNC
Photo courtesy of Brian Westerholt/GoHeels.com
Judging by her strike in the 73rd minute of last Thursday’s match at Virginia Tech in North Carolina’s 2-1 victory, the left quad of Brownsville graduate and Grindstone native Tessa Dellarose isn’t feeling too bad.
Dellarose, a senior who is the captain of the Tar Heels, tore her left quadriceps tendon near the end of June, and spent roughly two months in rehabilitation, as she worked to get back on the pitch for the defending NCAA Division I women’s soccer champions.
The injury didn’t require surgery, but physical therapy and rest were necessary for Dellarose to return to the sport she loves.
“I have had a few muscle strains in my career, and I had a stress fracture in my foot last season, but this was definitely the most challenging recovery,” Dellarose said. “I had to miss the last few games of the regular season and the playoff game for the (Pittsburgh) Riveters, which was tough because we were having a good season and a lot of fun.”
Dellarose was absent for the entire preseason and UNC’s first five matches, as she could only watch as the Tar Heels lost two of their first three.
Tennessee blanked North Carolina, 2-0, on Aug. 14 in the season opener before Georgia earned a victory a week later by the same score. Both matches were on the road.
“Those matches were against two tough SEC teams on the road, but I think we learned from both of those games,” Dellarose said. “I think we looked a lot better in the loss to Georgia. We have a great deal of younger players that need to get acclimated to playing for UNC and in the ACC, but they are learning every game.
“We don’t want to stress too much on those losses because there are going to be setbacks playing this level of competition. As much as you want to win every game, it is a very hard thing to do in the college game. We had five losses last year, but we learned from it, and that is what’s important.”
Following the season-opening setback to the Volunteers, the Tar Heels blanked Siena, 5-0, in the home opener at Dorrance Field on Aug. 17. After the loss to the Bulldogs in the third match of the season, UNC blanked Rice (4-0) and UNC Greensboro (4-0) before Dellarose made her season debut in a 4-1 home victory over Milwaukee on Aug. 31.
Tar Heels head coach Damon Nahas has eased Dellarose back into the lineup, as she has been a reserve in the four matches she has played.
“I am just building back up my minutes,” Dellarose said. “It was tough to miss preseason and the home opener, but we have a great squad this year. I have a role to play right now, and I need to do whatever is best for the team.”
Dellarose played 30 minutes against Milwaukee and 33 against Alabama in a 4-0 victory on Sept. 4 before coming on for 35 minutes in a 3-0 win at James Madison on Sept. 7.
Dellarose played a season-high 40 minutes against the Hokies.
She has been playing more as a defensive midfielder since her return, but gave her team a much-needed offensive spark when she blasted a left-footed strike that bounced off the woodwork and into the goal for the opening score in last Thursday’s match at Thompson Field in Blacksburg.
“The ball bounced off one of my teammates and I believe a Virginia Tech player was in the mix, but it kind of came right in front of me,” Dellarose said. “I was glad that it went in. I always figure if you put a good leg into it, then good things will happen.
“We have a lot of weapons up front, through the midfield, and on our flank, so I just need to make sure that I take care of my job, but it always feels good to get in on the offense.”
The transition from rehabilitation to playing in live matches has been smooth for Dellarose, as she credits her experience and being familiar with the program. She appreciates her teammates, as they continued to play at a high level in her absence.
“I am really grateful to be back out there, and the healing process went about as well as I could have expected,” Dellarose said. “I love playing soccer here, and I am glad to be with my team and healthy again. My parents have also been down for a majority of the games, which is important to me.”
Due to being off for the preseason, Dellarose didn’t have the opportunity to improve her mark in the “beep test,” which is conducted by the team to determine a player’s fitness prior to the beginning of the season. Despite not participating this year, Dellarose still holds the record for the beep test.