Espejo, Bagunas drop games as V.League returns from holiday break

Filipino reinforcements Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas had rough starts to the new year as their respective clubs absorbed losses in the Japan V.League on Saturday.

Espejo and FC Tokyo suffered a straight-sets defeat at the hands of the Panasonic Panthers, 25-18, 25-18, 25-17, as they dropped to 4-11 in the team standings.

The former Ateneo standout finished with a dismal number, scoring on only five of his 18 attack attempts while grabbing one block.

Jonas Kvaren led the charge for FC Tokyo with his 11 attacks and two blocks while Yamada Daigo chipped in four attacks and one denial.

Meanwhile, Bagunas suffered the same fate as his Oita Miyoshi squad fell short against a gutsy VC Nagano team, which notched a 36-34, 20-25, 16-25, 25-23, 15-13 win at the Cycle Shop Kodama Osu Arena.

Bagunas, though, had a monstrous individual performance with 27 points anchored on 19 attacks, six blocks, and two service aces but it went for naught as Oita crashed to its 14th consecutive defeat.

Oita is now at 2-14 in the standings, just a place higher than 10th seed Nagano Tridents who are at 1-14.

Both Espejo's and Bagunas' clubs will try to bounce back on Sunday.

—JMB, GMA News