From carving out a name for himself in Antique to overcoming the heartbreak of missing Far Eastern University’s lineup last season, outside hitter Mikko Espartero has come a long way on his road to stardom in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament.
A product of Tario Lim National Memorial High School in Antique, Espartero joined the Tamaraws in 2023 but failed to crack head coach Ed Orcullo’s final lineup for Season 86, which featured standouts like Dryx Saavedra, Andrei Delicana, and Jelord Talisayan.
Instead of dwelling on regrets and unanswered “what ifs,” Espartero turned that setback into motivation, fueling his determination to help the Tamaraws bounce back in Season 87.
“Ginawa ko ‘yon na motivation talaga na nung sinabi ko before na yung gigil ko na gusto ko na maglaro at tumapak sa arena pero wala ako magawa dahil hindi pa ako nalineup,” Espartero told Tiebreaker Times.
“Kaya ‘yon siguro yung ginawa kong motivation na kapag ako na yung pinalaro dito sa malaking liga, i-seize ko yung moment at walang tapon.”
Right out of the gate, Espartero has turned heads, guiding the Tamaraws to a flawless 7-0 record with a stellar 27-point performance in FEU’s 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-19 win over De La Salle University to complete the first-round sweep.
Showing no signs of rookie jitters, Espartero currently ranks seventh among the league’s top scorers with 99 points built on 83 attacks, eight blocks, and seven aces.
With such a strong start to his debut campaign, Espartero is grateful that his patience and hard work are finally paying off, reflecting on the journey that took him from Antique to Morayta.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Nung first year ko dito, hindi naman ako nanghinayang na hindi ako nalineup kasi lagi talaga ako naniniwala na meron talaga para sa akin at maging patient lang talaga dapat ako. Nagpursigi rin ako kahit Team B lang ako; gumigising ako ng maaga, mas trinatrabaho ko yung role ko talaga as a student-athlete,” Espartero expressed.
“Sabi ko last year habang nanonood ako, sabi ko ‘Pag ako na maglalaro, wala ako itatapon sa lahat ng game. Palo kung palo at ipapakita ko kung ano yung pinaghirapan ko nung hindi pa ako nalineup.”
While helping FEU secure their first undefeated first-round campaign since Season 81 in 2019, Espartero knows the journey is far from over.
Drawing strength from their “gold is the goal” mantra, he remains motivated to deliver after their heartbreaking Season 86 campaign.
Despite topping the elimination round last season, the Tamaraws lost their twice-to-beat advantage to the University of Santo Tomas Golden Spikers in the semifinals.
Watching that painful defeat from the sidelines only fueled Espartero’s determination to lead FEU to their first UAAP men’s volleyball crown since Season 74 in 2011.
“Yung Round 1 para sa akin, wala pa ‘yon. ‘Yon din naman ang goal ng lahat [na masweep], sadyang mas goal lang din ng FEU ‘yon kaya namin nakuha,” he shared.
“Sa Round 2, yung gagawin ko pa is especially sa receiving at sa lahat ng aspekto, papalakasin pa namin lahat at gagawin namin ulit ang lahat at dodoblehin para masweep ang Round 2.”
#WATCH: FEU’s breakout spiker Mikko Espartero shares how his time with Team B shaped his journey and maturity 🏐
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason87 pic.twitter.com/XlmJ5pZhFQ
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 15, 2025
