Young Thai squad EST Cola pulled off a stunning comeback at the Araneta Coliseum on Thursday night. They erased an eight-point fourth-set deficit to outlast the Nxled Chameleons in a five-set marathon, 26-24, 21-25, 21-25, 30-28, 15-12.

The thrilling two-hour-and-38-minute victory vaulted the guest team to a 2-1 record in the PVL Invitational Conference. It also proved that the resilient Thai side possesses the mental toughness needed to compete with veteran clubs.

11-2 Fourth-Set Surge Sparks Unbelievable PVL Turnaround

Nxled appeared ready to lock up the win after building a commanding 20-12 cushion in set four. However, Papatchaya Phontham spearheaded a furious 11-2 run that flipped the momentum completely.

The Chameleons squandered four match points during a heart-pounding 30-28 extended frame. Nannaphat Moonjakham then delivered key plays to help EST Cola force a fifth set.

A crucial net-violation challenge favored the Thais during the tight decider. The referee’s ruling blunted Nxled’s comeback attempt at a pivotal moment.

Balanced Scoring Attack Propels Thai Guest Team in Standings

Phontham anchored the Thai offense with 26 points, while Moonjakham provided 22. Nirarach Srikuta added 21 points and Nattharika Wasan chipped in 10 to round out a balanced attack.

Jonah Escamillan erupted for 26 points for Nxled, but her team faded down the stretch. EST Cola executed a final 6-3 run in the fifth set to move into solo second place.