Marck Espejo, FC Tokyo fall to defending champion Suntory in five-set V.League thriller

Marck Espejo and his FC Tokyo team fell short against reigning champions Suntory Sunbirds after a 24-26, 22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 11-15 beating to open their 2021-2022 Japan V. League campaign on Saturday at the Sky Arena.

The loss marked Espejo’s return to the Japanese league after playing as an import for Visakha in Thailand and Bani Jamra in Bahrain the past few years.

The last time the former Ateneo high-flyer played in the Land of the Rising Sun, he suited up for Oita Miyoshi, which, incidentally, is the current team of another Filipino spiker in Bryan Bagunas.

Shaking off the rust, Espejo still finished with 12 points anchored on 10 attacks and two aces while teammate Kvaren Jones led the offensive charge with 12 attacks, one block, and 2 service aces.

FC Tokyo returns to action on Sunday, October 17, at 12 p.m. against the same club.

Earlier, Bagunas and Oita Miyoshi picked up their first win of the season with a 25-19, 25-20, 21-25, 28-26 triumph over Sakai.

—JMB, GMA News