After starting in the previous two conferences, rookie Lynn De Guzman entered the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference in a new role.
With former Petro Gazz stars, led by wingers Brooke Van Sickle and Myla Pablo, joining Nxled, her spot in the starting rotation was no longer guaranteed. She found herself coming off the bench against Farm Fresh on Tuesday.
But despite being relegated to a reserve role, the fourth overall pick in the PVL Rookie Draft stayed ready, knowing Coach Ettore Guidetti could call on her at any moment.
Her patience and focus eventually paid off. De Guzman was summoned to inject energy and scoring punch off the bench after the Chameleons, who won the first set, dropped the next two and fell into a 2-1 deficit against the Foxies.
Subbed in during the third set, De Guzman made a significant impact in the fourth frame, helping Nxled level the match. She remained in the decisive fifth set, contributing key points and energy as the Chameleons closed out Farm Fresh, 25-23, 13-25, 21-25, 25-15, 15-12, opening the tournament with a hard-fought victory.
(C) PVL Images
“Actually, sabi ko nga sa previous interviews na kung ano yung kailangan ni coach, magiging ready lang ako—kung open yan o opposite. Kung pinasok ako, bibigay ko lang yung 110 percent ko,” said the former Ateneo de Manila University standout.
De Guzman finished with seven points in just three sets and even drew praise from three-time MVP Van Sickle after the match.
“Very proud of everyone for doing a great job. I thought Lyann, especially being one of the young guns, she did a fantastic job. She came in and produced a lot of points and a lot of energy,” Van Sickle said.
Off the court, De Guzman shared that she has been learning a lot from Van Sickle, Pablo, and the other veteran newcomers. She also noted how approachable her teammates have been, making it easier to ask questions and absorb advice—an environment that has fostered her growth in her rookie year.
“Actually, marami akong natututunan sa mga ates ko. Si Ate Brooke, si Ate Myla, and ang maganda din, they are willing talaga to help us na maging on top sa kung anong performance namin. Nagiging healthy competition siya kasi everybody’s willing to help each other na umangat. As in, team talaga kami,” De Guzman said.
“Di ba, sila din mga bagets kasi madali silang i-approach. Nung una nga, nahihiya ako kasi mga ates sila—dati lang sobrang idol ko sila, ngayon teammates ko na. Happy ako kasi naging madali yung bonding namin; kasi lahat madali i-approach, lahat willing makipag-bond.”
#WATCH: MADALI ANG NAGING BONDING NAMIN 🏐
Lyann de Guzman shares that the ex-Petro Gazz Angels have been a pleasure to work with so far#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/5C9bLc7c5q
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#PVL202 pic.twitter.com/aQ5XnBuQVL
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) February 3, 2026
