For the third time in his storied volleyball career, Marck Espejo is heading to Japan.
The 6-foot-3 open spiker will join Kubota Spears Osaka for the 2024-25 V.League season.
Espejo had played for Criss Cross earlier this year in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference/
He will be making his sixth stint abroad after playing for Oita Miyoshi (Japan), Visakha (Thailand), Bani Jamra (Bahrain), FC Tokyo (Japan), and most recently, Incheon Korean Air (South Korea).
“We are pleased to announce that Kubota Spears has signed a contract with Marck Espejo for the 2024-25 season. Espejo is an outside hitter from the Philippines who is 191 cm tall and has a maximum reach of 345 cm,” the team said in a statement on Friday.
Espejo shared his delight about this new international deal on an Instagram story, saying, “Feels good to be back, Japan!”
This will be the first time in his three forays into Japan that he will not be playing in the top-level league.
Kubota was part of V.League Division 2 last year but is now part of the unified V.League with no divisions.
The Japan Volleyball League Organization created the S-V League, the new highest level league in the country.
Kubota will compete in the West District with nine other teams, making a total of 18 teams in the V.League.
