JUST a day after Aby Maraño announced her retirement, Maika Ortiz, a longtime national team stalwart herself, has decided to call time on her career at 35.
READ: 'Tyang Aby' Maraño calls time on accomplished volleyball career
Ortiz last played for ZUS Coffee in the PVL roughly four months ago, closing a career that saw the 5-foot-10 middle blocker suit up for five clubs: Army, Foton, Chery Tiggo, and Choco Mucho.
Like Maraño, Ortiz built a reputation around her running spike and became a familiar presence for both club and country.
The two also played together for the Philippine national team, including the 2018 Asian Games squad in Jakarta that finished eighth.
After years of making the taraflex her second home, Ortiz decided there was no better time to step away.
“And now, I think it’s time to say goodbye to this chapter,” she wrote in her Facebook post.
“For so many years, this game was my life. The gym was my second home, the court was where I grew, and the people beside me became a huge part of my story. I would do it all again."
Ortiz now turns the page on her playing career, but knows the sport will remain part of her life no matter what.
“I may be leaving the game, but I’m taking everything it taught me wherever I go. Forever grateful. Forever a volleyball player at heart," she said.
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