Kalei Mau scored double figures in her Athletes Unlimited Volleyball debut.
The 6-foot-2 Fil-Hawaiian’s Team Cruz fell short against Team Lowe, 74-77 (25-27, 27-25, 22-25), to open its AUV Season 2 campaign, Thursday (Manila time) at the Fair Park Coliseum in Dallas, Texas.
Mau tallied 10 points in her first game, founded on eight attacks, a block, and a service ace. She also had 16 excellent receptions and seven digs.
With her performance, she got 115 points – 21st in the 44-player pool. Mau made 75 stat points and 40 win points – thanks to their second set triumph.
Facing a 12-19 deficit in the first set, Team Lowe clawed back with a 12-4 blast to reach set point, 24-23.
However, Aury Cruz retaliated with back-to-back kills to put her squad ahead, 25-24. But three straight points from Karsta Lowe clinched the first frame for her team, 27-25.
Trailing 24-25 in the second period, Ali Bastianelli and Cruz connived for three straight points to take the set, 27-25, and knot the total tally at 52-all.
Mau tried to lift Team Cruz in the third salvo, drilling back-to-back off-the-block spikes to pull her squad back to within one, 22-23.
But a Lowe crosscourt kill paired with a Nootsara Tomkom error gave the Team Lowe the victory, 25-22, and a final tally of 77-74.
Lowe top-scored for her team with 22 points, all from attacks, while Jamie Peterson collected 10 points to go with 26 excellent receptions.
Former F2 Logistics import Lindsay Stalzer came up with nine points of her own in the win laced with 16 excellent receptions and nine digs.
Falyn Fonoimoana paced Team Cruz with 13 points while Bastianelli did it all with eight attacks, three blocks, and an ace to end with 12 points.
Molly McCage and Cruz herself completed the double-figure hitters in the losing cause with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Unlike usual volleyball games, AUV has a different format.
The two squads play three sets and after those, the team with the higher total combined points wins the match.
Every week, the whole league composed of 44 players will have a re-draft with the top four scorers from last week assigned as captains.
Moreover, instead of crowning a team champion at the end of the five-week tourney, an individual champion will be awarded, who gets the most total points based on stat points, win points, and MVP points.
Team Cruz looks for its first match win when it battles Team McClendon on Saturday, 7 am (Manila time) at the same Dallas venue.
