Espejo eyes strong team for world tilt

Marck Espejo is keeping his fingers crossed, hoping that the Philippine National Volleyball Federation will field a strong team when it hosts the 2025 Volleyball Men’s World Championship.

Espejo, the most decorated among local players, said national team coaches are already looking at their performance in the ongoing Spikers’ Turf Open Conference in a bid to form a solid team for the prestigious world tournament.

Brazilian mentor Sergio Veloso will serve as head coach with Dante Alinsunurin and Odjie Mamon as deputies.

“I think, after the Spikers’ Turf, there are three coaches who will look into teams. I hope they already know who needs to be recruited so that the team can be formed right away,” Espejo, the former Ateneo de Manila University superstar who campaigned in various Asian leagues, said.

“We know that this league is not a joke, so as of now, they need to be ready, to be prepared.”

Espejo has been representing the country since 2015.

In fact, he was part of the team that won the silver medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019 and had seen international action in countries like Japan, Thailand, Bahrain and South Korea.

Now, he is playing for Criss Cross in the Spikers’ Turf and is considered as one of the top prospects to be part of the national squad that will play in the World Championship.

“I hope that the decisions will be better from the people who will handle the team this time,” Espejo said, stressing that he will definitely play if and when Veloso gives him a call-up.

“Of course, I’m not expecting if I’m gonna be automatically selected or not. But as soon as I’m summoned, I’ll do my best.” Espejo added that his experience in the international level will be his leverage in bagging a spot in the national squad. “I’m so grateful, and so blessed to have been given a chance to play in one of the highest leagues of men’s volleyball in the world,” Espejo said.

“I think, we won’t expect that we will win. We just need to give good games for every country (we’ll face).”