Espejo is catching up with Alas pals

MANILA, Philippines — Grizzled spiker Marck Espejo has rejoined the Alas Pilipinas men training camp in Europe after recovering from his ankle injury, completing the Philippine team cast with less than a month to the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship set Sept. 12 to 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the MOA Arena.

Espejo’s arrival is surely a big boost for the wards of Italian coach Angiolino Frigoni in the thick of their European training that started in Morocco and Romania and is to end in Portugal.

“I’m taking it day by day, training by training, as I work to catch up with the team after coming back from injury,” said Espejo, who reunited with his teammates in Santo Tirso, a city situated in northern Portugal, earlier this week.

A former UAAP MVP with multiple stints as import in Asia, the 28-year-old outside hitter sustained the injury last June during Alas’ campaign in the 2025 AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup in Bahrain.