Judith Abil, amid tears and laughter, relishes volleyball second wind

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It was a quiet Monday afternoon inside a cafe along Tomas Morato in Quezon City when an ever effervescent Judith Abil strutted in: “Hey! Hey! Hey! Nandito na ang gae!” (Hey! Hey! Hey! Your girl is here!)

The seats on the ground floor were almost filled, with almost everyone busy with their laptops, tablets or phones, yet the shift in energy was unmistakable upon her entry — much like an-espresso-shot-finally-kicking-in kind of hit.

This is just normal Abil, though. Even through a winless season in UAAP volleyball some years back, she would find a way to inject humor in just about any conversation or situation — a trait that has endeared her not only to her teammates but also to sports fans.

“Akala niyo siguro by this time isa na akong teller sa Rural Bank of Iligan, ‘no? Pwes! Akala ko rin,” she guffawed as she sat at the table.

(You probably thought that by this time, I’m already working as a teller in the Rural Bank of Iligan, right? Well, I thought so too!)

The reference should be clear, especially for chronically online Filipino volleyball followers.

FOCUSED. Cignal’s Judith Abil in action in the Premier Volleyball League. All photos from PVL Images

Back in 2021, Abil published a piercing yet funny piece where she practically begged for club teams to give her a chance for she knew, she said, that she has what it takes to be competitive in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).

All the imploring initially fell on deaf ears, putting the spiker in limbo for months, not knowing whether to push harder or to move on and try a different career path.

“Naaalala ko ‘yun. Kung kinakailangan lumuhod ako para magka-team noon, gagawin ko talaga. Bihira lang kasi nabibigyan ng pagkakataon na mahal nila ang trabaho nila, kaya gagawin mo talaga lahat para ‘di mawala,” she said in a quite rare serious tone. 

(I remember that. If I had to go down on my knees just to have a team, I would really do it. Very few get a chance to have a job that’s also their passion, so I would really do anything not to lose that.)

For Abil, it was clear what kept her going.

“Maliban dun sa sobrang hirap iwanan ng volleyball, kumapit ako dun sa mga tao online na kinalampag talaga ang PVL at lahat ng teams para i-consider ako. Kasi ibig sabihin nun, hindi lang ako ang naniniwala na may potensyal ako. Nakikita rin nila,” Abil shared.

(Aside from the fact that it’s hard to leave volleyball, I held on to the people online who clamored for my return in the PVL and asked teams to consider me. Because that means I’m not the only one who believes in my potential. They also see it in me.)

“Kulang na lang nga ibenta na rin nila ako sa PBA teams,” she said with a laugh. 

“Kaya tignan mo naman ngayon. Nauna pa mag retire sa akin ang Sta. Lucia.”

(It was like short of selling me even to basketball teams in the PBA. But look, the Sta. Lucia team folded before I did.)

JOY. Judith Abil celebrates a winning play with her team.

Abil just couldn’t help it. Laughing while talking to her is inevitable. The same way her second wind as a professional volleyball player was bound to happen.

It was in 2024 when it finally did.

After short-lived stints with BaliPure and Nxled, a then free agent Abil tried out first with two club teams but was unfortunately turned down.

With her back to the wall — and already set for a final interview in Cebu for an office job — the University of the East alumna gave volleyball one last shot when she joined the first-ever PVL Draft Combine, hoping against hope to finally find a place under the sun.

She need not wait for the Draft Night. Cignal and its head coach Shaq delos Santos, seeing how Abil could fit into their program, asked her to report to training, and the rest, as they say, is history.

“Salamat kasi nagtiwala sila sa akin na kaya ko,” said Abil, profusely thanking the Cignal management, coaches, and her teammates.

“Di naman sila nabigo. Nag Player of the Game pa nga [ako], ‘di ba?” she said cackling.

(I’m thankful that they believed that I could do it. They weren’t disappointed, right? I even became Player of the Game.) 

Of course, she wouldn’t forget to thank a subset of volleyball fans, brilliantly called Abilmanians, who relentlessly pushed the agenda of getting her signed to a club team.

“May team na ako ngayon kaya akala ko mananahimik na sila, pero pag maganda ang laro ko, sine-celebrate nila with me. Kung alam niyo lang na ang saya-saya ko to prove you right,” Abil said, this time with tears welling in her eyes.

“Na deserve ko ng chance. Na worth it na ipinaglaban niyo ako — na kasing ganda ko nga si RAD (Rachel Anne Daquis),” she jokingly added.

“Huy! Walang nagsabi nung last. Pero maraming salamat.”

(I have a team now, so I thought it would die down, but every time I have a good game, they celebrate it with me. If they only knew how happy I am to prove them right. That I deserved a second chance. That it’s all worth it — how they fought to prove that I’m just as pretty as Rachel Anne Daquis. Just kidding, no one said the last one. But I really thank everyone.)

ALL FUN. Judith Abil huddles with her Cignal teammates on court.

With her triple mocha drink almost gone and the sun starting to set outside, Abil paused for a few seconds when asked how different life is now.

It was unclear at that point if she was thinking of a proper answer, another punchline, or maybe just how much she was willing to share.

“Sorry po. Na-emotional lang ng konti kasi malayu-layo na rin pala [ang nalakbay ko],” she said, clearly trying hard not to let a single tear fall.

(I’m sorry. I just get a bit emotional because I’ve gone quite far in this journey.)

And it wasn’t a reference to any individual volleyball award, which she has yet to win. Nor a team accolade as Cignal didn’t make it to the quarterfinals of the 2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference.

But considering how she went from pleading for a slot in just about any PVL team to becoming a vital cog in the undermanned HD Spikers’ latest campaign, the sentiment was understandable.

“Sa ngayon medyo nakakaluwag-luwag ng konti,” she finally answered. “Ang inyong Kween A ay nakakapagpadala ng kaunti sa pamilya sa Iligan.”

“Konti na lang matutubos na namin si inay sa Cebuana (pawn shop). Nilalamig na raw kasi siya sa vault,” she added, laughing again in just a snap.

(Right now, life is more comfortable. Your Queen A gets to help her family in Iligan.I could buy back my mom soon in the Cebuana pawn shop. She’s getting cold in the vault.)

In quickly shifting from tears to laughter, Abil wasn’t trying to become a contradiction. Or at least not intentionally.

The real world can be harsh even for volleyball players who came from a prestigious league like the UAAP.

But her being funny and quirky is not an act she just taps into when there’s a crisis.

“Gusto kong mapanood [ako] ng mga nasa collegiate at makita nila na hindi porke’t hindi ka nag champion or Final Four eh wala ka nang puwang sa pro,” she said as if getting ready to drop another joke.

(I want the collegiate players to see that even if you didn’t win a championship or reach the Final Four, there’s still a spot for you in the pros.)

“At ang pinaka-gusto ko, ma-enjoy nila ang volleyball. Alam ko madali sabihin pero alam ko rin na kayang gawin. Huwag niyo sayangin ang best days of your life kakaisip kung anong sasabihin ng mga tao,” added Abil.

(But what I really want is for them to enjoy volleyball. I know it’s easy to say it, but I also know that it’s doable. Don’t waste the best days of your life thinking what other people would say.)

And just when she was about to hit her first three consecutive lines without cracking a joke, she returns to form with another “advice” for the veteran big names from the collegiate scene.

“Kaya sa mga players dyan gaya nila [Bella] Belen, [Angel] Canino, [Detdet] Pepito, at [Alyssa] Solomon, ang masasabi ko lang ay…” she paused.

“One more year!” Abil said laughing.

“Hayaan niyo muna ako maka-ipon bago niyo ako elbow-in sa pwesto.”

(So to the players like Bella Belen, Angel Canino, Detdet Pepito, and Alyssa Solomon, all I can say is…stay there for one more year. Let me save up first before you bump me off my position.)

Again, she just couldn’t help it. And why should she?

It is simply who she chooses to be, come hell or high water.

But best believe that when Abil returns in her red jersey in the next PVL conference, you will take her seriously. – Rappler.com