From being part of FEU’s Team B, Mikko Espartero has been a valuable addition to the Tamaraws for UAAP Season 87.
Just a year ago, Mikko Espartero was still hoping to make the FEU Tamaraws’ main lineup in the UAAP Men’s Volleyball Tournament.
As part of their Team B in Season 86, the Antique native could only watch as the Tamaraws charged through the season behind the brilliance of stars Dryx Saavedra, Martin Bugaoan, JJ Javelona, and Andrei Delicana, to name a few.
Although there were lingering feelings of regret and hopelessness, Espartero refused to give in, instead making a promise to himself to leave it all on the floor once given the opportunity to crack FEU’s Team A under head coach Eddieson Orcullo.
“Syempre, bilang Team B, parang naiinggit talaga ako pag nagse-celebrate sila [after a win]. Gusto ko na talaga masalang ba, pero wala akong magawa,” he recalled to The GAME in a recent exclusive interview.
“Sabi ko sa sarili ko na parang, pag ako mag-eligible lang sa UAAP at makapaglaro, gusto ko walang tapon. Gusto ko i-seize na talaga ‘yung moment na nandito na ako, ‘yung binigay na opportunity sa akin ng coaches, gusto ko hindi ko sila bibiguin.”
Espartero would receive his long-awaited call-up for Season 87, joining an FEU program that was hell-bent on redeeming themselves after blowing their twice-to-beat advantage during the Season 86 Final Four.
By this time, the Tamaraws had lost gunners Javelona and Bugaoan to graduation, while Delicana departed the team for personal reasons. But in Espartero, FEU found a gem who linked up with holdovers including Saavedra and Lirick Mendoza throughout their Season 87 campaign.
In his first UAAP elimination rounds, Espartero finished as the Tamaraws’ second-leading scorer with 197 points (14.57 per game) on an impressive 44.90 percent spiking efficiency. True to his earlier promise, Espartero was now seizing the moment as a key cog in FEU’s Season 87 redemption tour.
“Nagsisimula lang talaga ‘yan sa ensayo, and kung paano ako ini-improve, paano ako hinahasa ng mga coaches,” he says of his growth under Orcullo’s squad. “Ayun na nga, sabi ko na pag ako ‘yung sinalang talaga diyan sa court, gusto ko talaga na ibuhos ‘yung lahat lahat ng best ko ba, walang tapon na! Lahat ibubuhos ko talaga.”
Onto the finals
Mikko Espartero’s stellar UAAP debut would continue in the Season 87 Final Four, with top-seeded FEU facing off against the DLSU Green Spikers for a right to compete for the men’s volleyball championship.
Showing little to no signs of pressure, Espartero dazzled in the semifinals, finishing with a 17-point and 15-reception double-double as FEU overcame the year-old trauma of blowing a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four.
“In-enjoy ko lang talaga [ang Final Four] and ayun nga, finals na kami. Isa na din ‘yun sa mga goal ko na makabawi, lalo ayun na nga, sinasabi nilang nag-choke ang FEU kaya gusto ko talagang bawian. Tapos ngayong finals siguro, tuloy tuloy pa din hanggang makuha ‘yung gusto naming championship,” he reflected moments after FEU clinched the first Season 87 finals ticket over the weekend.
Game 1 of the finals begins this Sunday, May 11, with Espartero and the rest of FEU looking to deliver a 26th UAAP men’s volleyball back to Morayta. From being part of Team B just a year ago, a more confident Espartero now has the shot to be a part of history as he continues to seize the moment.
“Malaki at madami [his growth], and siguro ‘yung confidence sa sarili. Yan kasi ‘yung malaking weakness ko dati, ‘yung parang nahihiya ako, parang ‘di ako ganon katapang ba? And ayun, sa tulong ng teammates ko, tulong ng coaches ko, napataas nila ‘yung confidence ko and nakitaan nila ako ng potential.”
Images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.