FOR someone who didn’t even have a team in the PVL weeks ago, Judith Abil sure seemed like she got it all figured out.
Roughly three weeks ago, Abil was among a handful of free agents eager for a new lease on life in the pros as she tried her luck in the inaugural PVL free agent combine after being released by Nxled in 2023.
Fast forward to now – Abil just snagged player of the game honors in her new team, leading the Cignal HD Spikers to a rousing straights-set sweep of Choco Mucho in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference.
Abil’s sudden release, and her eventual victorious return to the league is just a testament to just how quick opportunities can come and go in this fast-rising sport.
And it rewards those who never sleep on it, players like Abil who was never discouraged even during the times when everything remained uncertain.
“Nu’ng free agent combine, nag-try lang ako magpasa sa email. Pumunta ako ng Day 1 and ‘yun po, cinontact ako ni coach (Shaq delos Santos) na mag-tryout sa Cignal, then ‘yun po, nagtuloy-tuloy na,” Abil said, who couldn’t be any more grateful for the opportunity given to him by the HD Spikers.
“Thank you sa tiwala, sa mga coaches, sa mga teammates na nagtiwala sa akin kasi ‘yung transition (to libero), hindi madali pero sa tulong ng coaches and teammates, dumadali ‘yung trabaho.”
Worth the gamble, for sure
What made her comeback even more impressive is how she did it while playing libero, a position that couldn’t be more different from her days as an outside hitter.
And in her first game, Abil showed her defensive prowess – finishing with 15 excellent digs and eight excellent receptions as a starter in the absence of Alas Pilipinas star Dawn Macandili-Catindig.
It was that said defensive instinct which caught the eye of Cignal head coach Shaq delos Santos, noting that her skill sets on the floor during the combine and in their first training sessions together was too good to pass on.
“Si Judith (Abil) kasi, wala pa ako nu’ng una siyang dumating (sa Cignal). Sabi ng assistants ko, na si Judith daw ganito, ganiyan. So sabi ko ‘sige papuntahin mo’ and then nung nagkita kami, ‘balik ka next week, observe kita ng three days,’” the HD Spikers mentor said.
“While ongoing ‘yung practice namin, ganda nung performance pero mas nakikita ko ‘yung grabe ‘yung floor defense niya, grabe yung receive and then serve, service niya. Every tuneup namin gagamitin ko siya sa service hanggang sa parang sabi ko, malaki ‘yung potential niya sa libero kasi ‘yun din ‘yung kailangan namin ma-improve.”
Comeback is real
But more so than her skills on the court, delos Santos sees another value of having someone like Abil on the squad.
Abil brings infectious positivity to the team with her playful ways off the court, with her affable character revered by teammates and coaches alike.
But the moment she steps on the court, that playful demeanor is thrown out at the window.
“Grabe ‘yung puhunan niya eh, hindi lang skills eh. ‘Yung jolly siya, ‘yung pagiging aggressive niya, talagang all out siya pag training, ‘di siya ‘yung tipong mahihiya kasi bago,” he said.
"Sabi ko nga sa kanya, isa ‘yun sa hinahanap din namin sa player kasi kailangan may konting kulit na alam namin na kapag tumrabaho, grabe ‘yung galaw.”
While keeping her spot in the starting line-up when Macandali-Catindig returns is a different story altogether, the fact that Abil is back in the league after months lingering in free agency is already a monumental win.
Not only for her, but for all the players who are currently facing the same types of uncertainty that Abil went through upon her release from Nxled. Such is the proof, that with hard work, dedication and guts, there’s no such thing as a comeback story too good to be true.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
