Noel Kampton’s arrival at Criss Cross was supposed to be a headline-making moment. One of the most highly-touted recruits of the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference, the 25-year-old outside spiker carried with him the pedigree of a standout career at De La Salle University in the UAAP and a mission to help elevate the King Crunchers to new heights.
But Kampton’s debut last Monday didn’t exactly go as planned. Head coach Tai Bundit started him, yet Kampton lasted just a set and a half before being replaced by veteran Marck Espejo as Criss Cross scraped past PGJC-Navy in four sets. The rookie outside spiker managed only eight points, a far cry from the impact fans expected.
Determined to bounce back, Kampton turned Friday’s match into a statement. Against the VNS Griffins at Paco Arena, he led the King Crunchers with a team-high 14 points — 10 attacks, three blocks, and an ace — powering Criss Cross to a dominant 25-14, 25-15, 25-21 sweep.
Reflecting on the game, Kampton admitted he initially felt guilty seeing Espejo on the floor, knowing the veteran was recovering from an injury sustained at the World Championship.
“Actually knowing Kuya Marck, may injury nga siya from the World Championship. Nag-chat ako sa kanya after game, sabi ko, ‘Kuya, sorry nakalaro ka dahil sa akin’ pero sabi niya ready lang naman daw siya,” Kampton shared.
“Ang maganda diyan kay Kuya Marck, ang dami kong natututunan, promise. Sa lahat ng aspect sa volleyball, sabi ko akala ko marami na akong alam pero hindi, mas marami siyang alam."
Despite being a rookie in the league, Kampton is no stranger to high-level competition, having previously trained with the Alas Pilipinas pools. Still, he admitted that first-game jitters weighed heavily on him during his debut.
“First-game jitters kasi siyempre rookie ako. Kahit medyo experienced player na ako like ‘yung mga tournament na nalalaruan ko, siyempre hindi mawawala ‘yung kinabahan kasi siyempre rookie ako dito sa Spikers’ Turf at bago ‘yung mga kasama ko,” Kampton said.
“Training lang talaga ulit, and ang maganda kasi dito sa Criss Cross... Sanay kasi ako sa La Salle kapag pangit ‘yung laro ko parang nada-down talaga ako. Dito hindi eh,” he added.
“Sila Kuya Marck Espejo, Kuya Jude Garcia, sila Kuya Ysay, at Kuya Krung Arbasto, sila ‘yung nagsasabi sa akin na okay lang ‘yan, one game at a time, bawi ka lang.”
With just two matches played in the country’s premier men’s volleyball league, Kampton and Criss Cross are now preparing for a test that could define their season: a rematch against their perennial rivals, the Cignal Super Spikers, who have thwarted the King Crunchers in the finals of the past three conferences.
The clash is set for Sunday at 6:00 PM at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan — and Kampton, confident and more settled, is ready to prove that his debut was merely the calm before the storm.
