NOT GOD’S WILL Abigail Maraño’s snap that pierced many hearts. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
MANILA, Philippines — The La Salle volleyball star known for her hard hits as well as her hair clips vows to be back.
Although she looked inconsolable in her final UAAP match, Abigail Maraño wants to make sure that it won’t be the last image Filipino volleyball fans will remember her.
“I think the loss will prepare us for tougher battles in life,” said Maraño.
“I will continue playing volleyball for professional leagues. I’m also going to continue studying for graduate school.”
As she tries to move forward from the painful end to her otherwise remarkable collegiate career, Maraño admits she still feels the sting of the Lady Spikers’ shocking setback to the Ateneo Lady Eagles.
“I’m feeling better but it’s still there,” said Maraño. “I think it will take time to sink in—that it’s okay.
It’s not okay because you worked hard for a year to achieve your goal.
But in the end, it’s not God’s will.” It has been a week since the No. 1 Lady Spikers lost a fourth straight championship that many thought was all theirs for the taking.
But La Salle ran into a surging, unstoppable Lady Eagles, who kept stringing improbable wins to halt the Lady Spikers’ incredible 30-game winning streak and overcome their thrice-to-beat advantage in the finals after an unbeaten run in the eliminations.
“It wasn’t really for us,” said Maraño, who was a picture of heartbreak on the court after the loss.
Although she tried to compose herself as the Lady Eagles celebrated, the La Salle skipper broke down again on the podium when she received the team’s runner-up trophy.
“I felt like I failed in my last playing year, that I wasn’t able to deliver my promises,” said Maraño.
But fans were quick to remind the 5-foot-9 middle spiker of the fantastic UAAP career that saw her capture two Most Valuable Player awards while powering the Lady Spikers to three straight championships.
Aside from the lusty cheer she received from the La Salle crowd on court, Maraño also got deluged by encouraging messages on social media.
“I got 100-plus text messages,” said Maraño. “I received Twitter and Facebook messages.
There were random people texting me and giving me praises, writing me novel-type messages.
I saw the real people supporting me and the team despite our loss.
I saw the true La Sallians who didn’t stop believing.”
As Maraño gears up for the pro league Philippine Super Liga, she also hopes to continue excelling in her studies.
The 21-year-old Maraño, who’s taking her master in mass communication after getting a degree in Philippine studies in mass media, recently received the UAAP Athlete Scholar award.
“I’m a competitive person in sports and I carried that even in my academics,” said Maraño. “I can’t imagine myself failing.”