Nxled needed every ounce of composure it had left, and found it just in time. Playing barely a day after a draining five-set loss, the Chameleons ground out a 25-20, 31-33, 25-17, 25-22 win over Ho Chi Minh City on Friday, September 4, at the Araneta Coliseum.

The victory pulled Nxled level at 2-2, tying the Chameleons with the PLDT High Speed Hitters for third place in the PVL Invitational. It kept their Finals hopes flickering after a brutal 48-hour stretch.

Nxled Weathers a Draining Marathon Set

The second set alone lasted 44 minutes before Ho Chi Minh finally snatched it, 33-31. It was a brutal blow for a Nxled squad already running on fumes from a five-set battle against EST Cola the night before.

Instead of folding, the Chameleons flipped the script and dominated the third set behind tighter defense and a sharper transition game. The response showed exactly the urgency Nxled needed after surrendering the marathon frame.

Jonah Escamillan felt the toll more than anyone on the floor. She had scored 26 points less than 24 hours earlier against EST Cola, yet she still fought through the fatigue to finish with 18 points on the night.

Late Collapse Tests Nxled’s Composure

A 19-10 cushion in the fourth set looked safe until Ho Chi Minh ripped off an 11-3 run to pull within one, 21-22. The Chameleons suddenly found themselves fighting off a collapse of their own making.

Head coach Ettore Guidetti called timeout, and his message was simple: organize, and protect the ball. The Chameleons responded fast, with setter Gel Cayuna finding MJ Phillips for a clean quick attack that restored the cushion.

Phillips delivered again on match point, hammering home the final kill to seal the win in two hours and four minutes. Cayuna finished with 35 excellent sets, while Phillips added 17 points and Myla Pablo matched Escamillan’s team-high 18.

The win gave Nxled more than just a spot in the standings. It gave the Chameleons real momentum heading into the stretch run of the Finals race.