Marck Espejo and Alas Pilipinas.–CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas are excited to workforce up once more in the event that they each make it to the ultimate roster of Alas Pilipinas within the FIVB Volleyball Males’s World Championship beginning on Sept. 12 at Mall of Asia Enviornment.
Espejo, who used to compete in opposition to Bagunas within the UAAP and Spikers’ Turf earlier than serving to steer the Philippines to a historic 2019 Southeast Asian Video games silver medal, can’t wait to share the court docket together with his fellow star spiker once more.
“It’s been years since Bryan and I final performed collectively, so I’m actually completely happy (on the prospect of teaming up once more),” mentioned Espejo, who final performed with Bagunas within the 2023 Asian Video games. “I missed his presence and vitality on the court docket, and I’m excited to play alongside him once more.”
Coming off a one-year layoff from a knee harm, Bagunas is simply completely happy on the alternative to coach once more with the nationwide workforce and in addition get pleasure from working along with youthful gamers.
“Actually, throughout my first coaching with them, I used to be shocked in a great way,” Bagunas mentioned. “Their enchancment is large. It didn’t even really feel like I used to be coaching with rookies. In comparison with those I performed with final yr, these guys have actually stepped it up.”
Bagunas and Espejo graced the MRT Go Stay! occasion to advertise the nation’s internet hosting of the 32-nation world championship on Wednesday. they had been joined by Owa Retamar, Kim Malabunga, Steve Rotter, Louie Ramirez, Buds Buddin, Leo Ordiales, Josh Ybañez, Peng Taguibolos, Lucca Mamone, Vince Lorenzo, Jack Kalingking, and Lloyd Josafat.
Armed with their three-country European coaching camp, the faces of Philippine males’s volleyball are leaving no stones unturned with every week to go earlier than taking over Tunisia within the opener.
“I’m excited, however we’re nonetheless centered on coaching so we will deliver out the workforce’s full potential,” mentioned Espejo. “It is a massive event, after all, and all of us are prepared.
“As a workforce, we nonetheless have an extended method to go, however we’ve additionally come a good distance since we began coaching collectively, particularly throughout our camp in Europe.”
Alas then takes on Egypt on Sept. 16 and Iran 4 days later.
“All of them are powerful. We all know the extent of play could be very excessive,” Bagunas mentioned when requested of the opposition and the hardest workforce of their group. “But when I had to decide on, I’d say Iran. Iran is basically on one other degree. Nonetheless, we’ll do our greatest to carry out nicely.
“We’re simply right here to play our sport and present what we’ve realized from our coaches,” he went on. “We need to show that Philippine males’s volleyball has an actual probability to compete globally. Like they are saying, that is just the start for extra individuals to acknowledge what we’re able to.”
