MANILA, Philippines — After 22 years of competing at the highest level, veteran volleyball player Aby Maraño has announced her retirement from professional volleyball. Maraño, who last played for the Nxled Chameleons in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), made the announcement on Wednesday, saying her decision was the result of a long and deeply considered process. “Today, with a heart that is both incredibly heavy and incredibly grateful, I am announcing my retirement from professional volleyball,” Maraño said in a social media post. “For 22 years, this has been my world. And for a long time, I have known that the day would come when I would have to close this chapter as a professional volleyball player in the Philippines,” she added. Maraño admitted that walking away from the sport was painful, but said she eventually found peace in her decision. “This hurts even more than breaking up with someone. It hurts so much. I don’t know where to put all this pain. But when that moment finally came, somewhere between the tears and the sadness, I felt something I never expected: peace,” she said. The veteran player also reflected on her career, saying she had given everything she could to volleyball and had no regrets about the path she took. “I have made the most of it. I have poured my heart and soul into it. And most importantly, I have no ‘what ifs’,” Maraño said. Maraño represented the Philippine national team from 2015 to 2023 and built a decorated club career with the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, Chery Tiggo Crossovers and Nxled Chameleons in the PVL. After more than two decades on the court, Maraño now closes the chapter on a career that saw her become one of the familiar faces of Philippine volleyball.