Marck Espejo. Spikers’ Turf Photo
MANILA, Philippines—Marck Espejo was nearly unstoppable as Cignal handed Imus’ first defeat in straight sets, 25-16, 25-22, 25-22, to earn its second win in the 2023 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Friday at Paco Arena.
Espejo unleashed 18 points, nailing 13 of his 22 spike attempts and firing five of his team’s six aces to beat the AJAA Spikers in one hour and 32 minutes.
The Philippine men’s volleyball star also had 11 excellent receptions, while team captain Ysay Marasigan chipped in 13 points off 11 attacks, one block, and an ace.
Cignal coach Dexter Clamor said their preparation worked wonders against the new but strong team coached by Sammy Acaylar.
“It boils down to our preparation because last Monday we really studied their set plays,” said Clamor in Filipino.
With the HD Spikers joining D’Navigators and AMC Cotabato Spikers on top for the early 2-0 lead, Clamor said it’s too early to call it a statement team against Imus, which will have Bryan Bagunas fresh from his Taiwan stint in March.
“It’s not really a statement [win]. They are still waiting for a player. We still have a lot of things to work on,” he said.
JP Bugaoan also sustained his fine play for Cignal with 10 points including four kill blocks. Setter EJ Casana dished out 17 excellent sets, as Wendel Miguel and Peter Torres contributed seven and six markers, respectively.
Imus slid to 2-1 after winning its first two games with Louie Ramirez being the lone bright spot with 12 points.