By: Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Marck Espejo, a five-time UAAP MVP and four-time Spikers’ Turf MVP, is expected to banner and lead the Philippine national team to greater heights this 2019 SEA Games men’s volleyball.
Espejo failed to make the 2017 SEA Games men’s volleyball roster due to his commitment to his school Ateneo, as they were making a furious run for a UAAP title that year.
With his return, the Philippine volleyball artillery will be expected to fire at will as he shares offensive frontline honors with the explosive Bryan Bagunas.
Bagunas is still playing with his team in Japan, the Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler, and will return to the Philippines on November 25, 2019.
The explosive duo in Bagunas and Espejo were witnessed last July in the 2019 Sealect Tuna Championships, where Bagunas tallied 22 points and Espejo erupted for 35 big points.
Completing the 2019 lineup are John Vic De Guzman, Mark Alfafara, Joshua Umandal, Ran Abdilla, Ish Polvorosa, Jessie Lopez, Joshua Retamar, Kim Malabunga, Francis Saura, Rex Intal, Ricky Marcos, and Jack Kalingking.
The head coach of the 2019 national team is Dante Alinsunurin.
