Noel Kampton Draws Motivation From Title-Winning Seniors in Last Dance With DLSU

Noel Kampton will have an added bout of motivation as the DLSU Green Spikers clinch a Final Four berth. 

Within a span of one week, Noel Kampton saw not one, but two of his recently graduated DLSU seniors win a championship in the professional ranks, starting with former captain JM Ronquillo in the Spikers’ Turf with Cignal.

Ronquillo was part of the HD Spikers’ three-peat in the recently concluded 2025 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference last April 6, and is now a two-time champion in the semi-professional league since joining the powerhouse crew in 2024.

“Si JM, kasama ko lang [last Saturday, April 12], nagkita kami, naglalakad siya sa Taft! Sabi ko, ‘Huy!’ Sumakay siya sa car, tas yun, kinongrats ko siya,” Kampton told The GAME in a recent exclusive interview.

 “Sabi ko, sobrang proud ako sa kanya kasi hindi niya nakuha ‘yung title na gusto niya sa La Salle, nakuha naman niya sa pro. Sobrang proud ako sa kanya, and syempre motivation ko rin na sana magka-champion din ako tulad ni JM.” 

Nearly a week after Ronquillo and Cignal’s triumph, the Petro Gazz Angels would follow suit, dethroning the Creamline Cool Smashers to win their first PVL All-Filipino Conference title in franchise history last April 12.

A part of that historic run was Billie Anima, who is balancing his Spikers’ Turf career with an assistant coaching gig under Koji Tsuzurabara in Petro Gazz. As with Ronquillo, Kampton beamed with pride at Anima’s feat, especially with how he is thriving in his post-UAAP career.

Both Ronquillo and Anima were crucial to DLSU’s resurgence in the post-pandemic era, providing veteran leadership on top of being go-to guys on the Taraflex. So really, it’s easy to see why Kampton is so proud of witnessing them score huge victories early into their respective professional careers.

“Si Billie naman, sobrang tuwa din ako, kasi from player to coaching staff, nakuha niya ‘yung championship with the team. I’m so proud of them talaga na kahit na hindi kami every time magkakasama, ‘yung Lasallian blood namin, nagko-connect kami palagi,” he said. 

Having seen his seniors thrive in the professional ranks, Kampton will now enter the UAAP Season 87 Final Four with a timely source of motivation, especially with this year serving as his last dance with the Green Spikers.

Kampton and DLSU currently sit at third with an 8-4 record, and are expected to face either the five-peat seeking NU Bulldogs, or an FEU team hungry for redemption in the Final Four.

“Sobra–sobrang [motivation] talaga, kasi nakaka-inggit sila, ‘di ba? Kasi kami lumalaban pa kami tas sila nandoon na sila sa taas eh. Kami sa UAAP, nandito pa kami and nakikipaglaban pa kami sa lahat ng UAAP teams,” he said. 

Eyes on the prize

While bringing a UAAP championship to Taft would mean the world, Kampton remains focused on his immediate-term goal, which is to guarantee DLSU’s podium finish for the Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament. 

The Green Spikers came close to finishing in third for Season 86, only to be denied after the UST Golden Spikers turned the tables on number-one seed Tamaraws in last year’s Final Four. 

“Lahat ng teams gusto rin mag-champion. Pero kaming Lasallista, ako nga, last push na nga namin nila Vince [Maglinao] sana makuha namin ‘yung podium muna. Focus muna sa podium then next doon ‘yung championship,” said the fourth-year outside hitter. 

With two more elimination games left, Kampton admitted DLSU’s need for improvements ahead of the Final Four, especially on the mental aspect. Despite this, however, Kampton remains proud of the teamwork he’s seeing from the Green Spikers.

The numbers may paint him as their best player, but Kampton emphasized that everyone is making their own impact within this year’s squad. 

“Si Menard [Guerrero], pumapasa si Menard. Si Vince, kahit konti lang points minsan, grabe ‘yung floor defense niya pati pasa niya, alam mo ‘yung teamwork talaga? Usapan namin ‘yan eh, na papasa sila, may kanya-kanyang roles sa team eh. ‘Yung mga middle blocker, ma-deflect lang nila. And of course, si Eco [Adajar], bato lang nang bato, kahit saan mapapatay.” 

Banner images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.