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.
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.”
