Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

News

Kalei Mau raring to play for National Team


It’s hard for Kaeli Mau not to stand out in the Philippines.

“I mean, if there were any other big Hawaiian in this gym, [but] I’m pretty sure you can’t miss me,” the six-foot-two Fil-American spiker quipped.

But beyond her height, Mau was one of the most impressive players in the two-day meet. Her energy was infectious, as she was one of the most vocal players on the court.

She was also nearly unstoppable as a hitter. Since rebooting in 2015, the National Team has never had quite a weapon like Mau – a towering fortress at the net who moves quickly and purposefully.

Since flying over to her mother’s home country last year and trying her luck at a volleyball career here, Mau says that playing for the National Team had always been a goal.

“I keep saying this before, my goal for myself and the reason why I play the sport is I’ve always wanted to put myself at the highest level of volleyball.

“And having the opportunity, I had to grab it. So I’m really excited to be in the environment and just around some great volleyball players here in the Philippines,” the 23-year-old product of University of Arizona said.

Mau has had to hurdle several challenges to reach this point. Coming off a stint in the French volleyball league, she suffered a devastating shoulder injury that kept her out of the sport for nearly a year.

Her stint with the Cocolife Asset Managers in the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Cup was her first taste of competitive volleyball since recovering.

#ReadMore  Remorseful Ronald Tubid on punch to 'Spiderman': 'Nagdilim paningin ko'

While the Asset Managers went without a win for the conference, Mau did regain some valuable confidence.

“I’ve come such a long way.

“I mean, in the most humble way possible, but I’m so proud of myself. Just when I arrived here in late August, I could barely put my hair up in a ponytail. For the first two months, I was playing libero for my team when Denden [Lazaro] was traveling with the national team. So I’ve come a really long way,” expressed Mau, who traces her roots to Cavite.

While the National Team pool needs more open hitters like Mau, there are no shoo-ins. Head coach Shaq Delos Santos has emphasized that everyone will need to earn their spot.

Whether she gets the call or not, Mau is relishing the opportunity.

“I have a reason for everything. And like I said, my goal is to play the highest level of volleyball. And I would be disappointed if I don’t achieve that. If not, it’s okay. I’m still twenty-three years old and I can try again. But I’m not gonna give up,” the 6-foot-1 spiker shared.

“I really wanna see myself with the flag on my chest.”

Written By

Miguel Luis Flores fell face first into sports writing in high sch9l and has never gotten up. He reluctantly stumbled into the volleyball beat when he started with Tiebreaker Times three years ago. Now, he has waded through everything volleyball - from its icky politics to the post-modern art that is Jia Morado's setting.


You May Also Like

19th Asian Games

Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) National Team Commission chairperson Tony Boy Liao shed light on why a women’s team was not sent to participate...

News

The Philippine women’s national volleyball team concluded its group phase campaign without a win. Last Friday, the Filipinas suffered a disappointing 25-21, 25-21, 25-11...

News

After facing a five-set loss against Kazakhstan, the Philippine women’s national volleyball team experienced a straight-set defeat at the hands of the Asian powerhouse,...

News

The Philippine women’s national volleyball team lost momentum in the late stages, succumbing to Kazakhstan in a five-set match with scores of 21-25, 25-17,...

News

The Philippines women’s national volleyball team departed for Thailand on Tuesday to compete in the 22nd Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship, carrying with them...

News

Just like in the first leg, the Philippine women’s national volleyball team concluded the 2023 Southeast Asian VLeague second leg without a win, falling...

News

The gallant stand of the Philippine women’s national volleyball team went for naught as they dropped a tight four-set match against Vietnam, with scores...

News

The Philippine women’s national volleyball team was overpowered by host Thailand in its 2023 Southeast Asia VLeague second leg debut, losing 15-25, 17-25, 18-25,...

Advertisement