Paat relishes joining list of home-grown volleyball stars abroad

MANILA, Philippines – Mylene Paat joins a growing list of home-grown Filipino volleyball talent to play in foreign leagues after signing a one-tournament contract with Thailand's Nakhon Ratchasima earlier this week.

She follows the path taken by some of the country's biggest volleyball stars like Jaja Santigo, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Alyssa Valdez, Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo.

But while she's already at toe with her fellow volleyball stalwarts, Paat does not feel the need to put herself at the level of the more household names in the sport.

"Hindi ko ma-feel sa sarili ko na star ako," Paat said in a recent episode of One Sports' The Game.

"Kasi gusto ko parin matuto sa bawat gagalawin ko," she added.

The 27-year-old is coming off a busy couple of months where she helped the Chery Tiggo Crossovers win the PVL crown with Santiago and Santiago-Manabat.

She also represented flag and country under the banner of Rebisco in the Asian Women's Club Volleybal Championship.

Most recently, Paat and the Crossovers finished as runners-up in the PNVF Champions League.

Though careful not to count herself among the greats, the weight of her achievement to get to play overseas was not amiss for the Adamson alumna.

"[O]f course, sobrang glad ko lang na napabilang ako sakanila," Paat said.

"Sobrang blessed ko na makajoin sa ganitong league and of course, na makilala din ang Pilipinas [sa volleyball]," she added.

Paat is the third Fillipino to play in Thailand's volleyball leagues after Valdez in 2016, and Espejo in 2019.