PH volleyball men’s superstars to miss AVC tourneys

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The PH men’s national indoor volleyball team will be without their two best players in the upcoming Asian Club Championships.

After the Japanese government announced that all imports from various countries playing in their professional volleyball league will have to arrive in the first two weeks of September, Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas knew they will have to postpone national team duties.

Espejo, playing for the FC Tokyo volleyball club while Bagunas for the Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler, will miss the October 7 tournament to be held in Thailand.

Men’s national team head coach Dante Alinsunurin bared the development and announced the playing date in Thailand.

“Sumali lang kami dito para makapag-start na kami kasi nga ang daming na-cancel na tournaments, pero for club teams talaga siya,” said Alinsunurin.

Meanwhile, the women’s national squad will also be losing one of their top stars as newly crowned PVL champion Jaja Santiago will also be returning to Japan.

Santiago has been a staple in the overseas volleyball scene and is the current import of the Japanese club Saitama Aego Medics.

Women’s team head coach Odjie Mamon already prepared for the departure of Santiago as she immediately called up reinforcements Jema Galanza, Deanna Wong, and Kat Tolentino.