Marck Espejo is drafted into the Korean V-League by Incheon Korean Air Jumbos. –KOREAN AIR JUMBOS INSTAGRAM
MANILA, Philippines — Marck Espejo has been drafted by reigning champion Incheon Korean Air Jumbos in the 2023 Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) Asian Quota Draft on Thursday.
Espejo was selected third overall draft pick to beef up the Incheon squad, which ruled the last three Korean V-League seasons.
The five-time UAAP MVP out of Ateneo is set to play his fourth overseas stint after playing in Japan V.League for Oita Miyoshi in the 2018-19 season and FC Tokyo in 2021. He also had campaigns in Thailand for Visakha before the COVID-19 pandemic and in Bahrain for Bani Jamra.
However, his Cignal teammates Manuel Sumanguid and JP Bugaoan as well as reigning Spikers’ Turf MVP Jau Umandal were left undrafted.
The list of Asian imports after the 2023 KOVO Asian Quota Draft for V-League men’s.
Espejo and the three other Filipinos were among the 32 aspirants, who went through tryouts on Tuesday and Wednesday in Jeju Island.
Mongolian middle blocker Enkh-Erdene Jargaltsogt was the top overall pick of the Daejeon Samsung Bluefangs. Japanese Ryohei Iga was selected by the Suwon KEPCO Vixtorm, while another Mongolian middle blocker, Bayarsaikhan Batsukh, was drafted as the fourth overall pick by the Ansan OK Financial Group Okman.
Taiwanese middle blocker Tsai Pei-Chang was the sixth pick of the Cheonan Hyundai Capital Skywalkers, followed by his comrade Liu Hung Min, who was tapped by the Uijeongbu KB Insurance Star. Japanese opposite spiker Issae Otake was the last Asian import drafted by the Seoul Woori Card WooriWON.
Espejo, who led Cignal’s perfect 15-0 sweep of the 2023 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference, joins Petro Gazz middle blocker MJ Phillips in the Korean V-League after the Filipino-American women’s volleyball star was drafted by the Gwangju Al Peppers as fifth overall pick last week.
Umandal and Sumanguid will head back to the country and fly with the Philippine men’s volleyball team’s campaign in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games starting on May 3 in Cambodia.
The 2023-2024 V. League season is set in October as Espejo joins a team that finished with a 26-10 record in the elimination round and swept the Cheonan Hyundai Skywalkers in the Finals last of the previous season.