Nxled stakes streak, faces Galeries Tower
The PVL On Tour has been full of surprises, and none bigger than Nxled’s early-season surge.
As the preseason event rolls into its fifth week at Filoil EcoOil Center, the Chameleons find themselves undefeated, and they’ll try to keep the magic alive today against Galeries Tower at 4 p.m.
If it succeeds going on a 3-0 start, it will be in unfamiliar territory.
Having a shot at a franchise-best start is nothing short of stunning for Nxled. Just last week, they toppled two of the league’s top-tier squads—Petro Gazz in a five-set thriller, and Choco Mucho in four sets—in front of a raucous crowd in Batangas City. At the heart of that streak is rookie Lyann de Guzman, who’s quickly turned heads with 21- and 24-point outings in those wins.
But it hasn’t just been a one-man show. Veterans like Chiara Permentilla and Krich Macaslang have stepped up in crucial stretches, while EJ Cariño and Jovelyn Fernandez have provided key defensive stops. The team now has a chance to tie unbeaten PLDT.
Galeries Tower has dropped two straight matches but showed flashes of promise. Jewel Encarnacion and Ysa Jimenez remain steady performers, and rookie Jean Asis is proving to be a cornerstone in the middle.
At 6:30 p.m., Akari and Capital1 clash in a Pool B match with major quarterfinal implications. Akari (1-3) is desperate to find consistency, having gone from a five-set escape over ZUS Coffee to a five-set collapse against Chery Tiggo. A loss today could dim their playoff hopes.
Capital1, meanwhile, continues to search for its first win. Under the guidance of national team coach Jorge de Brito, the Solar Spikers have shown grit—pushing ZUS Coffee to five sets—but late-game lapses have undone them. De Brito’s key trio of Trisha Genesis, Shola Alvarez and Sydney Niegos combined for 64 points in their last outing but again fell short in crunch time.
