Nxled Extends Unbeaten PVL Run to Three Games With Commanding Win Over Galeries Tower

0Shares

Nxled lost a set, but never lost its poise. The Chameleons answered a second-set slip with a sharp finish to beat Galeries Tower, 25-16, 22-25, 25-17, 25-19, on Thursday, October 22, and take the provisional solo lead in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series.

The win lifted Nxled to 3-0 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, while the Highrisers fell to 0-3. Head coach Ettore Guidetti said the way his players handled the dip mattered as much as the scoreline.

Jonah Sabete-Escamillan led Nxled with 22 points, including 18 kills, three blocks and one ace, against Galeries Tower. [PVL Images]

Nxled Blocking Wall Fuels Third Straight PVL Win

Nxled swatted down 14 blocks to Galeries Tower’s four. That wall helped the Chameleons neutralize a taller opponent and take over the match once the second set slipped away.

Jonah Sabete-Escamillan led all scorers with 22 points on 18 kills, three blocks and one ace. MJ Phillips added 14 points on 11 attacks and three blocks, and Brooke Van Sickle posted 12 points and 13 excellent digs.

Gel Cayuna ran the offense with 20 excellent sets, giving Nxled a steady hand at the controls. In the fourth set, the Chameleons built a 12-9 lead and never looked back.

Galeries Tower took the second set, 25-22, to level the match at one set apiece. The Highrisers could not carry that momentum, however, and dropped to 0-3 in the standings.

Guidetti Sees Nxled Resilience Before Choco Mucho Clash

Guidetti pointed to the team’s resolve after the match. He likened it to the resilience Nxled showed late in the PVL On Tour and during the Invitational.

“Well, it’s nice to see that we have the same resilience that we showed in the last part of the PVL On Tour, and especially during the Invitational. So we started definitely following the same line. So I see a bunch of determination in the team,” said Guidetti.

Guidetti added that he saw a calmer, more serene group under pressure. He also said no team in the conference is weak, which makes that steady energy essential.

Nxled returns to action against Choco Mucho on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 6 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Chameleons also opened the conference with wins over PLDT and Farm Fresh.