Philippine Express Espé with Flapping Wings

Mark Espejo 26, Philippines, a special Philippine player who came to Korea dreaming of a "Korean dream," began to flutter.

Korean Air defeated Korea Electric Power Corp. 3-1 in a match held in Suwon on Tuesday. After losing three consecutive games, Korean Air moved to second place with the victory. The main player of the victory was Especially named after Especially. Especially, who had his second chance to start this season, scored 19 points, the most by a player.

His strong serve stood out. In the third set, which was his showdown, Espéo's strong serve in succession, instantly widened the score to 10-1. He also scored four serve points in the entire game. Kwon Young-min, the head coach of KEPCO, also said, "Our serve was too strong. We couldn't win because we only had high-ball attacks while our receiving team couldn't withstand." Korean Air coach Tommy Tilikainen also praised Espéo's serve, saying it changed the course of the game.

Especially, he is a former member of the Philippines national team. When he was a member of the under-23 team, he had a game with his teammate Jung Ji-seok in the net. He has a lot of experience in overseas leagues such as Thailand, Japan, and Bahrain. With the opening of the Asian quarter, he challenged the Korean V-League, and was selected by Korean Air as the third in the Asian quarter.

However, Korean Air has many good players in Espéjo's position. There are former and current national team players Jung Ji-seok, Kwak Seung-seok and Jeong Han-yong. Competition is fierce with Lee Joon, who has excellent defense. As a result, Korean Air has only played twice in 15 games this season.

He waited for a long time in the warm-up zone, but Especially, he didn't miss a chance. Coach Tilikainen said, "Espho trained and competed just like Korean players. I wanted to get a chance, but I kept using him because he did a good job in the first set." Then, he said, "I have a really good shoulder. It's heavy. I can feel the pain even when I give a high five."

"I knew there were many good players even before I came to Korean Air. I accept it as a healthy competition. I believed in his system and he hired me," Espéjo said with a smile. "I didn't do well in my first start. When I get another chance, I thought I should do my best. On the night before the game, I shouted to myself, 'I will win'."

It is no exaggeration to say that the Philippines is a country of basketball. Especially in high school. "I used to play basketball. I was left-handed, but I quit after I hurt my elbow while dunking. After going to college, I wanted to study anthropology, but I came across volleyball. As I kept winning games, I became a volleyball player," he said.

Professional basketball opened the Asian quarter before volleyball. All nine players in the Asian quarter are from the Philippines including dual citizenship this season. "I know Sam Josef Bellangel Daegu Korea Gas Corporation, Dave Ildefonso Suwon KT, Lens Abando Wonju DB, and Lee Sun-bano Wonju DB who graduated from the same university Athensio University in the Philippines," Esphejo said. "I also keep in touch with them."

Although there is pressure due to unfamiliarity, he does not have a hard time. "Korean Air was the winner of last season's championship. I feel a lot of pressure to do well. But I think it is a challenge. The players and coaching staff are helping me out. I forget those things while smiling as much as I can, and I enjoy the game," Espéo said. 토토사이트