Brooke Van Sickle returned from injury with 11 points, outscoring PLDT ace Savi Davison as Nxled routed the High Speed Hitters, 25-16, 25-20, 25-18, on Tuesday night, October 13, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It was the Chameleons’ PVL Siklab Series debut.

Davison was held to 10 points as Nxled’s blocking stifled her power attacks. The Chameleons, who finished as runner-up to Thailand’s EST Cola at the recent PVL Invitationals, are chasing their first PVL championship.

Brooke Van Sickle Earns Game Player Honors in Return

Van Sickle returned to action after being sidelined by a minor shoulder injury ahead of the On Tour Showdown. She made an immediate impact with 11 points and eight excellent digs to earn Game Player honors in the PVL All-Filipino Conference.

Van Sickle said she was grateful to be back, noting that “nobody wants to be injured.” She described a long recovery with ups and downs and credited her teammates, coaches and management for supporting her throughout.

Despite her strong individual night, Van Sickle spread the credit around. “It was a good start. Everybody delivered and did a fantastic job, including our second six. The entire team performed tremendously, and I’m super proud of everyone.”

How Nxled Dismantled PLDT in Three Sets

The one-hour, 20-minute sweep was powered by a 50-27 edge in attack points. Nxled also had 16 attack points to PLDT’s nine in the opening set, committing just three errors.

The second set was the turning point. After PLDT jumped out early, Nxled responded with a decisive run, fueled by EJ Cariño’s hits and block on Mika Reyes and consecutive aces from Lyann de Guzman.

Myla Pablo and Jackie Acuña scored nine points apiece, while Cariño and Jonah Escamillan added seven each. Gel Cayuna had seven points and 14 excellent sets, two more than PLDT’s Kim Fajardo.

For PLDT, Dell Palomata had nine points, while Kim Dy, Alleiah Malaluan and Keisha Bedonia managed three apiece. Nxled joined Choco Mucho, Creamline and Farm Fresh in the early lead after two playdates of the first of the league’s three series.

The Siklab Series features a single-round elimination phase, with the top four teams advancing to the crossover semifinals. The top two finishers earn twice-to-beat advantages.