Somehow, the “MVP” chants the Ateneo crowd showered Marck Espejo with felt inadequate. The reigning, four-time Most Valuble Player had just delivered the single best individual performance in UAAP history.
His numbers pop out of the stats sheet: the league’s best attacker, scorer, and server dished out 55 points. Espejo himself had set the scoring record earlier this season, tallying 39 against the same Far Eastern University Tamaraws team in the second round.
They lost, so Espejo knew 39 wasn’t enough.
Amidst all the praise and glory of an all-time performance, Espejo was thinking of pratice. He never thought of today being his last UAAP match.
“Iniisip ko talaga, hindi ito last game ko. Iniisip ko, may training pa kami bukas.
“So ayun po. Tsaka gusto ko lang po maging memorable ‘yung last year ko, at ino-offer ko sa mga teammates ko ‘yun, na ‘pag umalis kami, itutuloy nila ‘yung tradition namin,” the 21-year-old said.
Since his rookie year in Season 76, every time he has stepped on the court, Espejo was the best player. Delivering the best game in his career to keep the Blue Eagles’ season alive only stamped his case as possibly one of the best UAAP student-athletes ever.
It wasn’t enough that he scored 55 — Espejo summoned it when his team needed it most.
“‘Yung points naman po, hindi ko siya iniisip. Basta iniisip ko lang, pag binigay sa akin ‘yung bola, kailangan ko pumuntos, kasi para sa team ko naman ‘yun eh,” added Espejo.
“Sama-sama kami lagi sa hirap at ginhawa.”
Inevitably, Espejo will be named Season 80’s MVP, which will make him the first volleyball player ever to win the MVP plum each year he played.
Eapejo’s coach Oliver Almadro said it the best: Espejo is a monster, a blessing, a gift from God.
“Well, Marck is a monster.
“I mean, he’s there, defense, a little bit struggle in the serve, but when it matters, he made the points sa serve. That’s what I’m telling my players, you have to make a point when it matters. 55 doesn’t matter if you don’t make it at the right time. So he made it at the right time, the maturity is there,” said the animated mentor.
“God’s gift talaga si Marck. Hindi lang sa atin, sa Philippine volleyball.
“Rare tayong makakakita ng kagaya ni Marck. Magaling din ‘yung iba — si Bagunas, sila Quiel, sila Bugaoan, magagaling din sila, magagaling ‘yan. I admire ‘yung sila, pero iba ‘yung binigay ni Marck eh. He’s really God’s gift to us, sa amin sa Ateneo,” the equally-decorated mentor added.
