F2 star Kalei Mau is expected to play for the Philippine sin the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines faces a tall order when it goes for a podium finish in the women’s volleyball tournament of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, a stage where the country has not seen any success since bagging the bronze medal at home in 2005.
And while the country’s program went downhill from there, a neighboring rival in Thailand kept thriving as the champion for the past 11 iterations of the regional meet.
The Thais remain the favorites yet again to extend their reign but with the SEA Games to be staged in Manila, the Philippines doesn’t plan on playing for the silver medal.
“Anything is possible,” said a beaming Kalei Mau, the Fil-American hitter expected to be one of leaders on the national team for the biennial games.
“I think we do have the capability and the physicality. We just have to put in the time. I don’t have a doubt in my mind that we can take on anybody.”
The 24-year-od Mau has certainly given the Philippines renewed confidence heading into the SEA Games three months from now with her dominant play.
The 6-foot-2 Mau, who starred for the Arizona Wildcats in college, is coming off a championship run with the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers in the Philippine Superliga, where she was named MVP of the All-Filipino Conference.
The last time the Philippines won the gold in women’s volleyball was in 1993.