New Superliga season looms; Maraño still without a team

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Superliga has made drastic player changes with the main aim of achieving a balance of power as it unveils its season-opening invitational conference set February 18 at The Arena in San Juan City.

Noticeably absent was one of its superstars – Aby Maraño.

Maraño, one of the most sought-after volleyball players in the country today, couldn't find a team after her contract with Petron expired and talks with RC Cola-Army and F2 Logistics bogged down.

“Ang gusto ko lang, maglaro ng volleyball (All I want is to play volleyball). Please let me,” said Maraño in her Twitter account, @AbyMaraño, a few days ago when The STAR broke the news of her ordeal.

The STAR tried to contact Maraño but she respectfully begged off, saying she was devastated by the development.

According to league sources, Maraño though will have until Monday to find a team. Otherwise she will skip the conference entirely.

Maraño played for a season with Petron, which topped the All-Filipino Conference and finished second behind Foton in the Grand Prix last year. She also saw action with the Generika squad that placed second to Petron in the Grand Prix two years ago.

Before her PSL stint, Maraño led the La Salle Lady Spikers to a three-peat feat and a pair of runner-up finishes in the UAAP. She was also a member of the Army team that finished second to PLDT in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Reinforced Conference last year.

More than the titles, Maraño is known for always being in "beast mode" or high intensity every time she plays, and her absence will be a big loss for a flourishing league like the Superliga.

PSL president Tatz Suzara didn't comment about the Maraño issue but said "What we have is a very balanced and competitive field."

"Like in the previous conferences, looking at the lineups alone will give us a hard time determining who will take home the crown. It's anybody's ballgame. It all boils down to who wants it more," he added.

Petron was the most affected by Maraño’s departure as it also lost Rachel Anne Daquis to returnee RC Cola-Army and Dindin Santiago-Manabat, who is on a leave of absence due to pregnancy.

Cushioning the impact of those losses was the addition of former Shakey's V-League MVP Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and rookie direct hire CJ Rosario, who was an integral part of Arellano U's title reign in the NCAA last year.

This early, RC Cola-Army has emerged the team to beat as it didn't only get Daquis but also kept the core of Tina Salak, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Honey Royse Tubino, Mary Jean Balse, Pabayo and Nene Bautista.

Foton, the reigning Grand Prix champion, will make of for the absence of Jaja Santiago, who is out due to her stint with National U in the UAAP, by tapping Angeli Tabaquero form Cagayan Valley and Rhea Dimcaulangan and Maika Ortiz from Air Force.

Cignal, for its part, acquired Holy Cross of Davao College's Mary Jane Berte and Southwestern University's Marlyn Llagoso and the trio of Djanel Cheng, Jeanette Panaga and Janine Navarro, who were pivotal in St. Benilde's NCAA title reign last month.

The league also welcomed F2 Logistics, which will be bannered by Cha Cruz and Paneng Mercado, and San Jose Builders, which will be represented by players mostly from former NCAA titlist Perpetual Help.

"This is going to be a very exciting tournament," said Suzara, whose strong ties with the Thailand Volleyball Federation gave the league a chance to invite a top-tier Thai team to mix it up with local squads in the semifinals.

"We're looking forward to an action-packed conference with a lot of heart-stopping plays, defensive gems and strong finishes."