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GREG AUMANBrittany Castelamare could miss the entire season.
River Ridge will open defense of its conference and district titles Tuesday without one of the area's top players.
Sophomore Brittany Castelamare injured her left knee during a preseason match against East Lake on Wednesday and had an MRI exam Thursday to determine the severity of the injury.
If the knee is only sprained, Castelamare could return in as few as two to three weeks, and the Knights are hopeful she has avoided any torn ligaments that could put her season in jeopardy.
"I'm trying to keep positive about this, and hopefully it's just a sprain," said coach Heidi Castelamare, her mother.
Castelamare, a capable hitter and setter, earned second-team all-Sunshine Athletic Conference honors as a freshman, finishing fourth in Pasco County with 283 assists and third on the Knights with 93 kills.
While she is out, River Ridge will shift from a two-setter system, using senior Alyssa Breviario as the only setter. Sophomore Tarah Bigger temporarily will take Castelamare's spot in the starting rotation.
The Knights were to play this season with nine varsity players, but they find themselves with only six healthy ones just four days before the season opener against Zephyrhills.
Junior Jackie Studebaker is expected to miss six weeks with mono, and senior Carley Stevens is out with a fever.
As a result, the Knights are expected to promote a few players from the junior varsity.
River Ridge has overcome injuries in recent seasons. Former Pasco County player of the year Ali Bigger missed the last third of the 2001 season with a broken foot, and starting middle blocker Krystal Dennis was limited by mono for much of last season.