VIGAN, ILOCOS SUR — After nearly two years away from the game she once lived and breathed, Jerrili Malabanan is back in the Premier Volleyball League — reigniting a passion she once thought was lost.
Malabanan, who last played for Cignal, stepped away from volleyball at the end of the 2023 PVL Second All-Filipino Conference. Mentally drained and in need of a break from the sport she had dedicated much of her life to, she made the difficult decision to walk away.
The 25-year-old outside hitter returned home to California, finding peace in simple joys like baking and taking time to fully detach from volleyball.
“I felt like I was mentally burnt out,” said Malabanan, who recently signed with rising squad Capital1.
“I was baking cookies, ’cause like Ate Chel (Daquis) was baking also. I also went back to California for a little bit. And this year, I came back to the Philippines,” she shared.
That much-needed time off gave Malabanan the space to breathe and reflect. For the first few months, she stayed away from anything related to the sport, unsure if she would ever return.
But slowly, the desire to play began to creep back in.
“Actually, siguro mga late last year po — that’s when I started playing volleyball again. For the first few months after I stopped, I didn’t really watch any volleyball,” Malabanan said.
“Pero eventually, I started missing volleyball. It was part of my life for many years, so it’s something that I really missed,” she added.
Now, with her love for the game reignited and her mindset renewed, Malabanan is ready to embrace this new chapter. She’s taking things one day at a time, easing back into training while rediscovering the joy that first drew her to the sport.
“Happy po ako na I’m back to playing volleyball. I was gone for like one and a half years, so I’m still trying to adjust again and get my body back to what it was before,” she said.
“I’m just taking it one day at a time. It’s been so long since I last played, so Coach Jorge always tells us to come to every training better than the last. That’s what I’m doing right now.”
Malabanan is set to make her long-awaited return to the court when the Solar Spikers face off against Creamline in the PVL On Tour on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at the Chavit Coliseum here.
#WATCH: After years of feeling mentally burnt out, Jerrili Malabanan opens up about finding her spark again — and why she chose Capital1 as the team for her comeback 🏐
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#PVLonTour pic.twitter.com/8k5XXdD2eQ
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) June 21, 2025
