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Belgian spiker Helene Rousseaux is out to reintroduce herself after a career-threatening injury.
DASMARIÑAS, CAVITE – Helene Rousseaux could still remember how her volleyball career almost came to an end in Turkiye.
It was last March 15 when Rousseaux suffered a gruesome ankle injury early into Papara Göztepe’s battle for silver against İBB Spor Kulübü in the Türkiye Kadınlar Voleybol 1 — a scene that left players and fans shocked throughout the playing venue.
“In the last game, final game, I went down and I broke my ankle. I didn’t necessarily break it, but the bone came out and there was blood everywhere,” Rousseaux recalled to The GAME in an exclusive interview following her Premier Volleyball League debut last October 9 at the Dasmariñas Arena here.
“So it was really bad, and I had a surgery like around [eight to 12] hours after that. It was a pretty intense surgery and I had four months of rehab.”
In a different time, Rousseaux would have continued her career in Turkiye, given that she has been playing there since 2016 and the country is already a second home for her. However, an opportunity that was too good to pass up would come her way instead.
With the PVL set to stage its 2025 Reinforced Conference by October, Italian mentor Alessandro Lodi reached out to Rousseaux, having seen her as the perfect fit for the Farm Fresh Foxies’ upcoming campaign.
“I was just expecting to stay and play in Turkey until I finish my career, but my injury happened,” Rosseaux shared. “Then I spoke with coach [Lodi] and I thought it was a perfect place and occasion with people who trust me; that I could come back on a good level because in Turkey, everybody saw my injury.”
The rest, as they say, is history, with Rousseaux making a strong first impression in her PVL debut with the Foxies. In their Reinforced Conference opener against the Nxled Chameleons, Rousseaux finished with 38 huge points, 15 receptions, and eight digs across four sets.
“So it was a little bit more difficult [in Turkey], so yeah, that’s why I came here and I’m really happy that I did. Everybody is really good to me, I have a lot of confidence and a lot of care from everybody to get back in shape and it’s going much quicker than I expected.”
Change of scenery
Helene Rousseaux may still be new to Farm Fresh and the Philippines itself, but she’s adjusting quite well to her change of scenery, all thanks to the trademark Pinoy hospitality she has received since day one.
“It’s really amazing! When I arrived on the first day, the girls were super sweet and super [caring], I was even wondering, ‘Is it normal?’, but people told me Filipino people in general are really nice,” Rousseaux shared.
“So it was not only my team, but it’s also in the taxi, in the shopping mall, everybody’s so nice to me! And I think that’s maybe a general thing here.”
Now that she’s gotten her feet wet, Rousseaux is just excited to witness the Filipinos’ passion for volleyball firsthand after she’s heard stories about it on her way to Manila. If she had more time, the Belgian spiker would also love to travel across picturesque beaches like Boracay and Palawan.
“I was most excited about the volleyball part, that’s for sure! I think it’s also a really fun league with a lot of attention, and it’s not just about volleyball; there’s a lot of animation around it with the fans, and people like you guys [the media] so that’s really, really fun!” Rousseaux said.
“I would love to travel also after, but I’m gonna go back to Turkiye to play, so I will not have time for it, but maybe I’ll be back to travel, just to travel across the islands for sure.”
Although her stay in the Philippines will be short and sweet, it wouldn’t be surprising if Helene Rousseaux looks back at it fondly, for it is where she was able to hit the reset button after nearly losing the chance to play the sport that she loves.
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.