Santiago, Espejo, Bagunas set to kick off Japan V. League campaigns

Bryan Bagunas, Jaja Santiago and Marck Espejo are set to open their Japan V. League stints this season. FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines—Jaja Santiago, Marck Espejo, and Bryan Bagunas are set to start their respective campaigns this Saturday as the Japan V.League kicks off its new season.

Santiago, who is in her fourth year in the V.League, will look to help Saitama improve on their fifth place finish from the previous season beginning against Okayama Seagulls on Saturday.

The Ageo Medics missed out on a top-three finish last season but captured the V.Cup in March this year making Santiago the first female Filipino volleyball player to win a title abroad.

Espejo, meanwhile, will be making his second stint in Japan after stops in Thailand with Visakha and Bani Jamra in Bahrain.

A former player of Oita Miyoshi, Espejo is now signed with FC Tokyo, which opens its season against the Suntory Sunbirds.

Bagunas, on his third season in the league, and Weisse Adler, will take on the Sakai Blazers for their opener.

Bagunas and Espejo weren’t able to join Team Rebisco, which is essentially the men’s national team, in the 2021 AVC Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship due to their commitments with their respective teams in Japan.