Aby Maraño retires from professional volleyball

September 17 ------ Veteran spiker and former Philippine women’s volleyball team captain Aby Maraño has retired from professional volleyball after a 22-year career.

Maraño announced her retirement Wednesday, Sept. 16, saying the decision came after years of playing the sport she had long considered her world. “Today, with a heart that is both incredibly heavy and incredibly grateful, I am announcing my retirement from professional volleyball,” the 33-year-old middle blocker posted on social media. “Hindi ito isang overnight decision. For 22 years, ito ang mundo ko. At matagal ko nang alam na darating ang araw na kailangan kong isara ang kabanata bilang propesyunal na manlalaro ng balibol sa bansa,” she added.

Maraño also said her decision to retire was not because she had fallen out of love with volleyball, but because she felt she had already given everything she could to the sport. “Ready na ako. Hindi dahil hindi ko na mahal ang volleyball. Hindi dahil hindi ko na kayang maglaro. But because after 22 years, alam kong naibigay ko na ang lahat,” Maraño said. “Wala na akong hinahabol pa sa karera ko. Nasulit ko na. Naibuhos ko na. At higit sa lahat, wala akong ‘what ifs,’” she added.

A native of Passi, Iloilo, Maraño was a former team captain of the De La Salle Lady Spikers during her collegiate years, steering the team to three UAAP championships. She won the UAAP Most Valuable Player twice. She began her career. in the now-defunct Philippine Superliga, where she was selected as the second overall draft prick for the 2014 season for the Air Asia Flying Spikers. Among the teams she played for were PLDT Home Telpad, Meralco, Generika, Petron Blaze, Army, Foton, and F2 Logistics. In the Premier Volleyball League, she also played for Chery Tiggo and Nxled.

Source: mb.com.ph