From the Bench: Despite ACL Surgery, Salam Rajjoub Still Making Difference for Bridgeport Volleyball Team
By Jeff Toquinto on November 02, 2025 from Sports Blog
The date is as clear as the moment it happened and the pain that followed for Bridgeport High School senior Salam Rajjoub.
It was September 25. Bridgeport High School’s volleyball team was at the Marion County Armory. Rajjoub and her teammates were warming up to play Elkins in a tri-match that included Fairmont Senior when everything would change, and not in a way the senior outside hitter or anyone else would have scripted.
“We were early in the warmups, and I was on the outside and swung on the ball. I landed on my foot, and it went inwards … My knee went inward and I felt a pop,” said Rajjoub. “I’m dramatic so I was freaking out. After I was on the floor, coach (Ali Burton) told me to calm down a bit, and they would check me out.”
The Fairmont Senior trainer along with Christa Randolph, a physical therapist with Bridgeport Physical Therapy whose daughter happens to play for the Indians, began to look Rajjoub over. They were doing tests on her knee which was already beginning to swell a bit.
Rajjoub did not know it yet, but her left knee was seriously injured. She had a complete tear of her ACL – and Rajjoub would soon begin to think it was serious before she officially knew it was serious.
“I went home and iced it. I thought it would be fine … I was trying to stay positive, but eventually the pain was increasing. I just hoped it would not be as bad in the morning,” she said.
Morning came, and with it, Rajjoub experienced what she did not want to experience.
“The pain was bad. My knee was really swollen and hard to walk on,” said Rajjoub. “I still was able to put pressure on it and went to school before going to get x-rays that afternoon.”
The x-rays did not show the medical staff what they needed to see. An MRI a few hours later would reveal what Rajjoub did not want to 
hear.
hear.
“Three minutes after the MRI I got the results that my ACL was torn. They also told me the MCL was possibly sprained, but that would heal on its own,” she said. “From there, we had to figure out when to have surgery.”
The news hit Rajjoub, her family, and her teammates hard. It also hit Burton hard as well.
“I can’t sugar coat it at all. It has been heart wrenching. The kids have been so resilient picking up for her not being there, but knowing this is her senior season, and just loves volleyball, and not to be able to finish it out is upsetting,” said Burton. “I know injuries are part of sports, but it’s been upsetting knowing she has to deal with the injury and the surgery.”
As it turns out, surgery was Oct. 24. Dr. Derik Geist, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with WVU Medicine, did the surgery in Morgantown. Although everything went well, the surgery lasted five and a half hours.
The surgery revealed, as expected, a complete tear of the ACL. Rajjoub said there was also another minor surgery done on the side of her knee to help stabilize things during the recovery process.
The time for recovery? Six to eight months.
That means Rajjoub will be out when the Indians begin the postseason with regional play as the No. 1 seed tomorrow, Monday, Nov. 3.
The only positive is that the Tribe has played for more than a month without Rajjoub and still have managed to hold on to the top seed. Still, there is a significant impact with her absence in terms of production and experience.
During her time with BHS, she has played 311 sets of volleyball, including 50 sets in 24 total matches this year where she was averaging 4.2 kills per set. For her career, she finished with 706 kills. Burton estimates that with an extended postseason run, Rajjoub would have been in the range of 1,000 for her career.
Want more? Rajjoub finished with 194 aces and 346 digs. As a junior, she had 122 digs and 114 when her knee injury ended Rajjoub’s senior season.
“The best thing is that she doesn’t worry about any of those numbers,” said Burton.
She was on course for first-team all-state honors after earning second-team honors last year. Rajjoub was also first team All-Big 10 and All-Harrison County as a junior. She also managed to earn all-tournament honors in the Tribe’s state title run in 2024.
Now, for the first time since before Rajjoub was in the sixth grade, she will not be adding to her totals or be sporting the school colors in a
volleyball match in Bridgeport. The surprising part is that she almost never got into the sport.
volleyball match in Bridgeport. The surprising part is that she almost never got into the sport.
“I was clueless in the sixth grade about doing something. I thought about going out for the dance team or something else. I was tall and athletic, and I thought about volleyball, but I knew nothing about it,” said Rajjoub who stands 5’9. “I figured even if it was something I wasn’t the best at; my height might help because I was taller than most of my friends.”
The early struggles most have when starting a new sport were also struggles for Rajjoub. But a metamorphosis took place.
“I got better. By the time I was in the 8th grade I had confidence and was falling love with the sport,” she said. “I still love it.”
She loves it so much that she still, despite having the knee injury, is not ruling out playing at the next level. In fact, prior to the injury, she was in conversations with several schools to play collegiately.
“I’m looking at doing it. It’s not easy, but it’s something I talk about with my family a lot and I’m still letting coaches how things are going,” Rajjoub said “I think when volleyball dies down at the college level, it will be more of a conversation. I’m not sure where it will go, but I know I need to be humble and enjoy the process.
“When I tore my ACL, it didn’t ruin my plans,” she continued. “What it did do was make me realize my path wasn’t as linear as I thought.”
It should be stated that Rajjoub may not be playing, but she is not done with Bridgeport volleyball. Since her injury, she has been a 
constant presence on the sidelines. Burton said she is a perfect example of leadership.
constant presence on the sidelines. Burton said she is a perfect example of leadership.
“It’s amazing to see her in the leadership role. She understands she has a role, even if it’s not what she wanted it to look like, on this team,” said Burton. “I’m not surprised because as a freshman she was always talking, always encouraging the team, and she lets her teammates have support and know what to do now. She’s fully engaged in practice and in games. She still has a vital role.”
Rajjoub said she does not consider herself to be like an “assistant coach,” but more like the helpful teammate. And despite everything, she is thankful to be in the position.
“I had the ability God gave me to play, and that feeling was like no other,” she said. “But as much as this ACL injury sucks, being able to have the ability to stand and cheer your team on, your family, from the sidelines is still an opportunity God has given me … I do feel my role of being positive with a lot of energy on the bench for my teammates can be just as important.”
And she wants to help. Rajjoub emphasized there is a very deep sense of family and friendship among the volleyball team. From the coaching staff to the freshman, and even parents like Randolph who she praised as a mother and as her therapist that will help her on a path to recovery.
“If I need something, or anyone, the entire volleyball family is there,” Rajjoub said. “If anyone can help anyone, they will.”
As one final gesture, Rajjoub was allowed to dress one last time. She got to serve the start of the final regular season match before being subbed out.
“That made us all very happy but watching her walk off the court knowing everything she’s put into this made it very hard to hold it together,” said Burton. “We’d all rather her be on the court, but if not, we want her there helping her teammates with support. We plan to be there to support her get back to being healthy, too.”
When she is cleared to play, here is hoping Salam Rajjoub will remember that date too.
Editor's Note: Top photo, courtesy of Salam Rajjoub, is just prior to her recent surgery. In the second photo, she is shown encouraging her teammates during early season action and in the third and fourth photo is shown playing the game she loves. In the fifth photo, Coach Ali Burton is unable to hold back the tears on senior night. Bottom photo shows Rajjoub after getting in a few serves to start the game on senior night before being subbed out. All sports photos by Joe LaRocca.
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