HIS TIME HAS COME
Marck Espejo never imagined he would represent the Philippine men’s national volleyball team for a decade—let alone play on the world stage at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.
On his 10th year with the national team, Espejo seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play a huge role in the Philippines’ debut at the World Championship against Tunisia on Friday at Mall of Asia Arena.
“Ten years later, I’m still here and part of the team again. I didn’t expect to last this long with the national team, but I’m happy and grateful that I’m still healthy and able to play,” Espejo told the Inquirer in Filipino.
“I only expected that the highest level I’d reach in my volleyball career would be the Asian Games. But I’ve gone beyond that, and now I get to be part of the World Championship, which is one of the top events of our sport. I’m super happy and honored to be part of this.”
The Philippines got off to a rough start in the tournament and bowed to the 11-time African champions, 25-13, 25-17, 25-23, but Espejo had his moments in the match.
Espejo conspired with returning star Bryan Bagunas, who led all scorers with 23 points, and punched in nine points for Alas Pilipinas.
It was a tense game of firsts for Espejo, who drilled his first kill in the first set, a highlight point that brought the house down despite the Philippines facing a 17-7 deficit.
He also scored his first ace in the worlds for a 1-0 lead in the third, where the Filipinos put up a gallant stand and kept a lead until 13-12. Tunisia reasserted itself but Bagunas stepped up, tying the set five times, the last at 23-23. Oussama Ben Romdhane and Khaled Ben Slimene then stepped up to ice the match.
Espejo hopes that this solo hosting of the country and Alas Pilipinas’ appearances will continue to boost interest in the rising men’s volleyball program.
“I’m super thankful and happy. There’s so much I want to say. Thank you so much for helping us get this far. Hopefully, this continues from the World Championship to club teams. I really hope support for men’s volleyball grows so the level of the sport can rise here in the Philippines,” he said.
Five-time MVP
The 28-year-old Espejo, who took the men’s division to greater heights as a generational talent in the UAAP and Spikers’ Turf, is a trailblazer of Filipino imports in overseas pro leagues. He was a no-brainer as a selection for Alas Pilipinas, and was part of the national team’s return to international competition in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.
The five-time UAAP MVP out of Ateneo powered the national team, with Bagunas, to a historic silver medal finish in front of a home crowd in the 2019 SEA Games. He also represented the country in the Asian Games two years ago.
Espejo, the first UAAP rookie MVP in men’s volleyball, also owns the highest scoring output of a local player in the country after pouring in 55 points in the Final Four against Far Eastern University, which caught the attention of overseas scouts. He wound up leading the flow of talent abroad, where he played in Japan (on three different teams), Thailand, Bahrain and South Korea, where he won a championship.
