Once a fixture in the Premier Volleyball League, Jerrili Malabanan returns not just with a new jersey on her back, but with a renewed heart ready to chase the game she once chose to walk away from.
The last time fans saw Malabanan in action was during the 2023 PVL Second All-Filipino Conference, where she donned the colors of Cignal. But behind her composed demeanor on court was a heavy heart and a fatigued mind—worn down by years of competition, pressure, and the internal battles that athletes seldom talk about.
“I felt like I was mentally burnt out,” Malabanan admitted.
That quiet decision to step back wasn’t an easy one, but it was necessary. The sport that had shaped her for years suddenly became a source of exhaustion. And so, she left. No farewell tour. No loud announcements. Just a quiet departure and a one-way ticket home to California.
There, she found solace in the simplicity of life—baking cookies, bonding with family, and most importantly, giving herself the space to breathe.
“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 recalled.
Far away from the roars of the crowd and the pounding of volleyballs on hardwood, Malabanan reconnected with herself. For the first few months, she didn’t even watch the sport. The distance helped her heal, and slowly—without even realizing it—she began to feel the itch again.
“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,” she shared.
“Pero eventually, I started missing volleyball. It was part of my life for many years, so it’s something that I really missed.”
As the fire reignited, Malabanan found herself drawn back to the gym, and eventually, back into a professional locker room—this time, with the up-and-coming Capital1 Solar Spikers. The team, led by veteran coach Roger Gorayeb, is on a mission to make waves in the league, and Malabanan’s return adds depth and leadership to the youthful squad.
Now, with a clearer head and a stronger spirit, she's taking the comeback journey one practice at a time.
“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.”
