AFTER seven long years of national team service, AbyMaraño is stepping back to give way to younger talents.
"Retirement means time and space for my other passion. I think oras na para sa new blood," the 30-year-old national women's volleyball team mainstay said after announcing her retirement on Sunday.
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The decorated middle blocker has represented the Philippines since 2015 - a seven-year stint that included a stint as skipper in the 2018 Asian Games, 2018 AVC Cup for Women, 2019 and 2021 Southeast Asian Games, and the 2019 ASEAN Grand Prix where the Philippines clinched a bronze medal.
"Nasa [national team] man o wala, Tyang is Tyang. No one else can take that away from me. I worked so hard to be the Tyang Aby of Philippine Volleyball," she said.
READ: Aby Marano retires from national team duty
"[I] dedicated myself to the sport and my heart for the nation in all 7 years na sinurrender ko sarili [ko] para mag-commit sa [national team]."
Maraño also expressed her gratitude to former teammates and the volleyball federation.
"Grateful ako sobra sa lahat ng mga nakasama ko, sa teammates, coaches at National Sports Associations na dinaanan ko within the years na naglaro ako para sa bansa. Lalo na sa mga taong naniwala at nagtiwala sa kakayahan ko," she said.
"But syempre hindi forever nandyan ako, so it’s time for new leadership."
For now, Maraño will be focusing on F2 Logistics' first-ever semifinals campaign in the 2023 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
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