MARCK Espejo played his first full match since his shoulder injury but FC Tokyo got swept by JTEKT, while Bryan Bagunas and Oita Miyoshi fell to a vengeful Nagoya on Sunday in Japan V.League.
Kento Miyaura scored 17 to lead JTEKT in sweeping Espejo and FC Tokyo, 25-22, 25-10, 26-24, at the Kariya City Gymnasium.
Miyaura fired 11 attacks, five aces and a block to show the way for the Stings, while Brazil’s Felipe Fonteles delivered 13 points for their fifth straight victory and tighten their hold on fifth spot with a 13-9 record.
Espejo, who sat out last week and played limited action in their three-set loss on Saturday, struggled in his first full match with eight points, hitting only seven of his 36 spike attempts.
Jonas Kvalen had 11 points from nine attacks and two blocks as Tokyo suffered its fourth straight defeat, sliding to 6-16 in eighth place.
Bryan Bagunas and Oita Miyoshi slip to 5-17.
Meanwhile, Nagoya made sure to avoid another meltdown, beating Oita Miyoshi, 25-20, 25-18, 25-20, at the Cycle Shop Kodama Osu Arena.
After his 40-point explosion went for naught with a five-set loss to Bagunas and Co. on Saturday, Polish import Bartosz Kurek dropped 24 points to lead Nagoya’s bounce back win for an improved 11-7 record in the sixth place.
Kurek hit 19 spikes with an impressive 73.1 percent attack rate including three blocks and two aces. Kenta Takanashi had 12 points.
Bagunas lifted Oita Miyoshi with 13 points, while Venezuelan spiker Emerson Rodriguez scored seven as their team fell to 5-17.
Espejo and Bagunas will play against each other next weekend at the Sumida City Gymnasium.
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