Overcoming hurdles

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Aby Maraño swears she takes special care of her skin. So she thought it was such a cruel joke by fate when she was diagnosed with psoriasis.

“As an athlete, people see my body on TV,” she said when asked about the care she gives her skin, adding that she sees her latest ordeal as another hurdle to overcome. “But I have since learned to accept that it is another challenge by God.”

She didn’t let the red welts bother her too much on Thursday night as the flashy F2 Logistics leader helped her squad demolish Sta. Lucia Realty, 25-21, 25-19, 25-19, in the Philippine Superliga Grand Prix at Filoil Flying V Centre.

Aside from having an ailing veteran, the Cargo Movers also played with only one import and a couple of absent pillars.

But it hardly mattered against the Lady Realtors.

Becky Perry and Ara Galang scored 14 points each to lead F2 Logistics, who is still without American Lindsay Stalzer—the three-time champion still seeing action in the Indonesian Proliga.

Stalzer is set to arrive this weekend but so far, the Cargo Movers have held their own, despite also missing skipper Cha Cruz and Kim Kianna Dy due to injuries.

Perry and Galang provided enough firepower as the Cargo Movers left the Lady Realtors befuddled.

“I needed to step up and not look for others who are not here,” Galang said.

Middle blocker Majoy Baron chipped in 11 hits while Maraño added eight points as the Cargo Movers lodged their second straight win.

Maraño said having the skin disease hasn’t stopped her from doing things that she loves, like volleyball.

“There’s no reason for us to give up because having psoriasis still allows us to do things we love. This is just skin-deep,” the 26-year-old middle blocker said.

Psoriasis is a skin disorder where skin cells multiply up to 10 times faster than normal. This causes bumpy red patches covered with white scales to grow on the scalp, elbows, knees and lower back. It is not contagious.

Cignal chalked its first win in the tournament at the expense of PLDT Home Fibr, 25-22, 27-25, 25-19, in the first game.

The HD Spikers, meanwhile, leaned on import Erica Wilson and Mylene Paat, who scored a combined 40 points as they recovered from losing their first game to the Cargo Movers.

Cignal coach Edgar Barroga tweaked his roster and shifted Anastasia Artemeva to middle blocker, giving national team mainstay Paat to do her stuff at opposite.

PLDT dropped to 0-2.