Fifteen years old and already playing in the Spikers’ Turf, Howard Guerra expressed his gratitude to VNS for giving young talents like him the chance to compete at the highest level of local volleyball right away.
The Griffins, coached by Ralph Ocampo, have long been a breeding ground for young and raw talent. At just 15, Guerra is already proving that he belongs in the ongoing 2025 Invitational Conference.
“Masaya po kasi hindi po lahat ng ka-age ko at bata ay nabibigyan ng ganito kalaking exposure at yung malaking tiwala po na binigay ni coach Ralph,” said Guerra on Friday after VNS’ four-set loss to Savouge.
“Sobrang saya po kasi hindi ko rin po ine-expect na sa ganitong age mabibigyan na po agad nang ganitong exposure, kasi hindi naman po lahat ng bata nga makakapaglaro sa ganito,” he continued.
Despite his age, Guerra has already accumulated significant experience in his volleyball career. He was part of the Alas Pilipinas team that competed in the 15th Asian Men’s Under-18 Championship last year.
Just a week ago, he also claimed gold in the 2025 Batang Pinoy beach volleyball tournament alongside fellow VNS players Terrrence Marticion, Almudzni Tanhaji, and Raphael Galapin, representing Caloocan City.
For Ocampo, wins have been hard to come by in this tournament organized by Sports Vision and backed by Alpha Insurance, Premiere EMS, Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things, and Arena Plus.
Still, seeing young players like Guerra step up is already a victory for the program.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
“Actually, sa VNS kasi, we’re molding kids. Nawala sa amin si CJ Segui, nawala sa amin si Jan Mangulabnan because of NCAA. So, sabi ko sa mga bata, since they’ve been with us for I think two years already, it’s now the time na i-expose namin sila,” said Ocampo.
“Kumbaga life cycle yan ng isang team. Sometimes nasa taas ka, sometimes nasa baba ka, pero mahalaga diyan yung tinatanim mo, nagbubunga. So, ito si Howard, part din siya nung naglaro sa under-18 na Alas. So, yung project namin, we’re happy to see na it’s successful,” he added.
Against the Spin Doctors, two-time bronze medalists in the Spikers’ Turf, Guerra tallied 20 excellent sets along with three points.
Guerra embraces the challenge of facing more experienced, stronger players, confident that Ocampo has equipped him with the skills to compete at their level.
“Yung skills din po kasi na tinuturo sa amin nila coach ay advanced na po kasi nga bawal na po maging bata kasi ‘yung nilalaruan namin is pang matatanda na,” shared Guerra.
Ocampo — whose program has produced stars now thriving in the country’s men’s volleyball scene — is confident that Guerra, along with many other current Griffins, is next.
“Itong mga batang ito, sila ‘yung next big thing like example si Al-Bukharie Sali ng UST, Peng Taguibolos ng NU, si Barbie San Andres ng Alpha Insurance — they went through the same training grounds with us, so let’s watch out for these kids.”
