Wary of Est Cola’s youthful energy, Myla Pablo knows Nxled’s veteran core will have to dig deep and deliver its best when the two sides clash for the 2026 Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference crown on Tuesday.
Pablo, who is making her first finals appearance with the Chameleons, expects the Thai side to come into the title bout with plenty of energy, especially with its young roster eager to make its mark — just as it did during their elimination-round encounter.
“Siyempre, ‘yung Thailand kasi mga bata pa ‘yan eh, so ganado pa maglaro, hindi pa napapagod talaga,” said the 32-year-old Pablo.
Est Cola got the better of the Chameleons in their first meeting, erasing a huge 20-14 deficit in the fourth set to force a decider. The Thai team then went for the jugular in the fifth and completed a stunning comeback.
Pablo believes Nxled must lean on its veteran experience to stay composed when momentum swings, and prevent Est Cola’s youthful energy from dictating the pace of the championship showdown.
“Kami naman, as a veteran team, kailangan talaga naming ibigay ‘yung best namin sa loob ng court. Laruin lang talaga namin… Kumbaga, kung ano ‘yung sasabihin ng mga coaches namin, pakikinggan lang namin,” she added.
(C) PVL Images
That veteran composure was put to the test off the court, too.
After taking down Farm Fresh in Sunday’s opener, Nxled could only watch as Est Cola defeated Ho Chi Minh City, leaving a Creamline loss to PLDT as the Chameleons’ lone path to the gold medal match.
And the wait proved to be a roller coaster.
PLDT took the opening set before Creamline answered with the next two, but the High Speed Hitters refused to fold. The team sent the match to a decider by taking the fourth set, then completed the comeback in the fifth.
The result sent Nxled into the finals, finally ending a tense wait as the Chameleons secured the last ticket — and their first-ever — to the championship round.
“Well, I’m super happy. Siyempre, first time naming mag-finals with Nxled. You can see naman, lahat ng teams pagod din talaga and every day ‘yung games,” Pablo said.
“But ‘yun nga, sabi talaga namin, physically, pagod din talaga kaya sabi namin kung ano ‘yung magiging resulta ng game ng CCS and PLDT, kailangan paghandaan pa rin talaga namin sa Tuesday,” she added.
Now set for her first finals appearance with Nxled, Pablo vowed to leave everything on the court and make the most of the Chameleons’ first championship opportunity.
“So ito na nga, nasa finals na kami. Siguro, I think ‘yung kailangan talaga naming gawin this Tuesday is ibigay namin ‘yung best namin. ‘Yung communication ng bawat isa, and ‘yung roles namin sa loob ng court, kailangan mai-apply namin.”
