FAREWELL, QUEEN: Maraño bids volleyball goodbye, enters new chapter
ABY Maraño walks away from volleyball, putting behind a stellar 22-year career that made her one of the most beloved players of this generation.
Photo courtesy of PVL
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ABY Maraño walks away from volleyball, putting behind a stellar 22-year career that made her one of the most beloved players of this generation.
Photo courtesy of PVL
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Decorated middle blocker Aby Maraño announced her retirement from competitive volleyball on Wednesday, bringing to an end an illustrious 22-year playing career.
The 33-year-old former national team skipper last suited up for Nxled in the 2026-2027 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour Showdown.
“Actually, my retirement is not an overnight decision. I’ve long been preparing myself for the transition from playing professionally to another chapter of my life,” Maraño, also a former national team skipper, said.
Maraño said her decision to hang up her sneakers wasn’t because of any health issue but more of the challenge of going out of her comfort zone.
“After 22 years of playing volleyball, I know I’m still physically and competitively able to play. I don’t have any major injury, and I know that I can still compete,” said Maraño, who won six club titles and eight Best Middle Blocker awards in the defunct Philippine Superliga.
“But when my contract with Nxled ended, that’s when I felt that instead of feeling excited about finding another team and negotiating another contract, I got more excited about the possibility of life after pro volleyball. That’s when I realized that it’s time. I had reached a point where I was already at peace with the idea of letting go of professional volleyball,” she added.
Maraño is currently employed with freight and cargo service company, F2 Logistics.
“I’m now with F2 Logistics, which is actually a very meaningful transition for me because F2 has been part of my life for so many years. I spent seven years with F2 as a player,” said Maraño, who played for the company’s Cargo Movers from 2016 until its disbandment in 2023.
Maraño started her career as an unpolished high school gem before making a name for herself with De La Salle University where she powered the Lady Spikers to a three-peat in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) from 2011 to 2013.
Known for her tenacity, strength and never-say-die spirit Maraño was named back-to-back UAAP MVP in 2012 and 2013. She also won the prestigious Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Miss Volleyball recognition in 2014.
She played for AirAsia, PLDT, Meralco, Generika, Petron, Philippine Army, Foton, F2 Logistics, Chery Tiggo and Nxled for a commercial career that spanned 12 years.
Maraño joined the national squad in 2015 and retired from tour of duty in 2023. She was part of the national team that won bronze in the 2019 ASEAN Grand Prix.
“I hope my legacy goes beyond the things I accomplished on the court. I hope people remember me not only as someone who gave everything she had to the sport, but also as someone who tried to use her platform to help other athletes and contribute to the growth of Philippine volleyball,” she said.
