A little bit rough on the edges, but skill is there.
The men of the Cignal HD Spikers are back in training. Franchise player Marck Espejo, who’s bound to join the Korean V-League soon, is still fulfilling his duties with the team.
Those duties include unleashing nuclear spikes to the defense.
It’s common in the Philippines for volleyball courts to be played in gymnasiums that also function as basketball courts. Cignal was in Paco Arena on Saturday, and Espejo couldn’t resist the itch to parade some of his basketball skills—with a volleyball at that.
First, the 2023 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference Finals MVP showcased his ability to spin the ball on his finger. It doesn’t end there. Apparently, the trick was to spin the ball and then lay it inside the rim in one swift motion.
Espejo at least got the spinning part nailed down. He couldn’t move past that, though. As seen in the photo, his layup was way off.
Then, the former Ateneo Blue Eagle proceeded to execute a more straightforward but not exactly easier feat: dunk the ball. Espejo has mad hops, so it shouldn’t be that hard, right? See for yourself how it goes.
Juanito Gregorio, conditioning coach of the squad, gave the public the pleasure of seeing it all on video by posting it as one of his Instagram stories. Espejo missed his first dunk attempt, and while he made the second, it was more of a lay-in than a hard jam.
Gregorio, who’s also a basketball coach and commentator, credited Espejo with one rebound on the sequence.
Take note, though, that volleyball net heights are just over seven feet. Basketball rims, on the other hand, are 10 feet high.
Or maybe, it was also just Marck's off-day, wasn’t it?