FILIPINO volleyball star Marck Espejo is making the most out of his time playing in the V.League All-Star Game in Japan.
The 6-3 Mr. Espejo, a vital cog in the national team’s silver medal finish in the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, had a historic appearance in the V.League and even played as a starter for Team Kota, which eventually bested Team Shirasawa, 25-22, 25-22, 26-24, at the Tokorozawa Municipal Gymnasium on Christmas Day.
Mr. Espejo said he’s making the rest of his Japan stay count as his mother club, FC Tokyo, that it will close shop after the season.
Mr. Espejo made the historic start after original stalwarts Takahiko Imamura of Panasonic was injured and Takahiro Tozaki of VC Nagano did not play.
After his Japan stint, Mr. Espejo is expected to rejoin the national squad with hopes of helping steer the country to duplicating, if not surpassing, its silver medal in the Hanoi SEA Games in May next year.
The former Ateneo standout was one of the three Filipinos currently plying their trade in the Japanese league with the other two being Bryan Bagunas for Oita Miyoshi and Jaja Santiago for Saitama Ageo Medics.
Mylene Paat, who plays for Premier Volleyball League (PVL) champion Chery Tiggo, is suiting up with Nakhon Ratchasima in the Thailand league. — Joey Villar