Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
On Tuesday night, as confetti dropped from the rafters of Mall of Asia Arena, she stood head and shoulders above everyone else—similar to the way she played in leading F2 Logistics back as queens of the Philippine Superliga.
Kalei Mau was hoisting the All-Filipino championship for the Cargo Movers—and the MVP trophy for herself.
It was a dominant performance for the 6-foot-2 Fil-American, who had to earn her spot inside the Cargo Movers’ otherwise tight rotation, and Ramil de Jesus’ tough, rigid system.
And as a direct offshoot, there is now a strong push for her inclusion to the national team for the coming Southeast Asian Games—now that she has shown the stuff she has and being a valid Philippine passport holder.
“It’s an indescribable feeling. I never felt this way. So much love, so much support,” said the 24-year-old Mau in the din of the championship celebration after a 2-0 sweep of hard-fighting Cignal.
“I give it up to my teammates. I gotta always look back and see where I started at, and now look how I got here.”
But Mau, who is a potent mix of size, strength and smarts, hardly made a splash when she got here last year, playing for United Volleyball Club.
Before that, she played as import in leagues in Puerto Rico and France, and a stalwart of the tough Arizona Wildcats in the US NCAA.
De Jesus was grateful that “she chose us despite other offers,” when UVC folded up just weeks before the AFC started.
Although F2 Logistics has been a league heavyweight for years, he said Mau was key to finally winning the title it twice lost to rival Petron. She poured in 46 points in eight total sets of the title series.