Nxled has built its early success in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference Siklab series on a defensive wall that has proven difficult for opponents to break.
The Chameleons continued to frustrate their rivals at the net, tallying 14 blocks against Galeries Tower on Thursday to extend their winning streak to three games and claim solo first place.
That effort followed an impressive 23-block performance against Farm Fresh and a nine-block outing against PLDT, underscoring Nxled’s consistency in shutting down opposing attacks.
“It’s pretty clear after the two games that we are very good in blocking. It’s definitely a good help also for the defense because when the block is working well, the work of the defense is definitely simpler,” said Chameleons head coach Ettore Guidetti.
Beyond their defensive strength, the Chameleons have also benefited from increased competition within their own ranks. In particular, Guidetti has seen significant improvement from the team’s second unit.
Guidetti said the competitiveness of the second unit — which includes EJ Carino, Jovelyn Fernandez, Lyann De Guzman, Djanel Cheng, Krich Macaslang, and Ranya Musa — has pushed the starters to raise their level in practice while giving the entire squad more opportunities to develop.
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The approach has worked to Guidetti’s advantage as he navigates the all-to-play format of the Siklab series.
“Well, right now, I noticed that our second starting six really leveled up and really developed. So normally, during practice, I love to scramble a lot. I love to mix the starting six with the second starting six,” said the Italian coach.
“But right now, I noticed that, especially a couple of times a week, if I play the first starting six against the second one, they fight more,” he continued.
“So this is something that I am trying to introduce a couple of times a week, particularly in the two days before a game. It looks to me that they are not only developing technically, but they are also really fighting for their spots.
“The starting six are defending their positions, while the others are trying to take them. And this is a very good part of the all-to-start, all-to-play format of this conference because it allows me to develop all of my players, not just six or seven of them.”
Despite Nxled’s strong start, Guidetti believes the Chameleons still have room to improve, particularly in their side-out game. Nevertheless, he remains confident that the team can address its shortcomings as it sets its sights on a deep conference run.
“So right now, if I have to complain about something in my team, it’s never about the block and defense phase, but about side-out. In side out, we can be better, and we are working on it.”
