F2 Logistics’ Kalei Mau did not have the Premier Volleyball League debut that she was hoping for.
Up against a retooled Chery Tiggo side, Mau and the Cargo Movers faltered in three sets. They dealt with personnel issues on their PVL return after deciding to skip the Invitationals a few months back.
The Benson Bocboc-coached squad missed four rotation players in American import Lindsay Stalzer, Tin Tiamzon, CJ Saga (health and safety protocols), and Dawn Macandili (injured) against the Crossovers.
Filling in the libero slots are Aby Maraño and Ara Galang.
Despite the unfortunate turn of events, Mau is sticking to the positives as they look to bounce back from the sorry loss.
“It’s great. This is also like my second home, so it feels good to be back with my teammates and be back on the court. It’s nice to have fun,” said Mau, who tallied 20 points on 17 attacks and three aces in the loss.
The 27-year-old Filipino-American said that this debut loss will only help the entire team – especially Galang and Maraño – ease into their respective roles. Moreover, Mau is confident that the two can hold the fort on the defensive end as they await the return of Macandili and Saga.
“One thing about this sport is you got to make adjustments. And I have faith in my teammates that we’re gonna be able to make those adjustments and feel each other’s roles. Like all of us have individual roles that we have to know so, of course, it’s a little tense, it’s a little new. But it’s the best game to kinda do that,” said Mau, who last played in Athletes Unlimited.
She added, “The first one is always like… You know the ones where you can’t bear the ground and figure out what you need to work on.
“Awesome. I love that they got to step up to roles that they would never even imagine being in. I’m super happy that Aby is able to kinda like be another voice behind me even though she’s not on the net with me. Her energy is a big loss that we don’t have right now. But it’s kinda nice to have her behind me when I’m hitting – it’s just a little bit extra fire,” she added.
With their first game now in the books, Mau is ready to go back to the gym and prepare for their upcoming match against Choco Mucho on Thursday at 5:30 PM.
“We’re just gonna have to get back into practice tomorrow and work on it.”
