The Philippine men’s volleyball team is confident of turning in a “stronger” performance in the SEA V-League after having two main cogs in Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo on board for the next round of the tournament.
Winless in three games in the tournament so far, the Philippines will be hosting the next round of the tournament in Santa Rosa, Laguna starting Friday night.
National team head coach Sergio Veloso said that with Bagunas and Espejo in the roster, they “can play better now.”
“They’re experienced players. They’re smart. They can share their experiences with others,” Veloso said.
“We can make a stronger job. I feel we can play better now,” he added.
The 25-year-old Bagunas, who is currently playing for Lianzhuang Win Streak, has various accolades both in the collegiate ranks for the NU Bulldogs and in professional leagues.
Espejo, a former rookie-MVP in the UAAP for Ateneo, also has several awards in the UAAP and Spikers’ Turf. He is currently playing for the Incheon Korean Air Jumbos.
The Philippines lost its third straight game in the league against Vietnam Sunday evening in five sets.
They also likewise came up short in first two games against Indonesia and Thailand.
Indonesia is currently first in the V-League standings, going undefeated in three games. Thailand is at second with a 2-1 win-loss record, followed by Vietnam with a 1-2 win-loss slate.
Veloso said Bagunas and Espejo will be of great help to Steven Rotter, who was named the best opposite spiker in the first leg.
The Philippines will take on Thailand Friday at 7 p.m.
The Nationals will also face Indonesia at 6 p.m. on Saturday and Vietnam at 6 p.m. on Sunday.