VIGAN, Ilocos Sur — After stumbling in its debut in the 2026 PVL On Tour Showdown, Nxled bounced back in emphatic fashion, sweeping Capital1, 25-17, 25-23, 25-18, on Saturday at the CHAVIT Coliseum here.
The victory not only evened the Chameleons’ record at 1-1 but also earned them the P100,000 winner’s prize for winning a game in the preseason tournament.
Myla Pablo led the way with 17 points built on 12 attacks, four blocks, and one ace, while Jonah Sabete-Escamillan added 13 points on nine spikes, two blocks, and two aces.
Gel Cayuna efficiently orchestrated the offense with 17 excellent sets, as MJ Phillips and Jovelyn Fernandez contributed seven and six points, respectively, despite seeing limited action.
(C) PVL Images
“Well, to be honest, I think that we really enjoyed playing today. It was super fun… Really happy that everybody had the possibility to show that all of my players are super good. And especially the defense has been super nice,” said Nxled head coach Ettore Guidetti after the one-hour, 58-minute victory.
“And I saw that also the crowd, that they really enjoyed to see fighting that much in defense.”
Nxled seized control late in the third set after nursing a slim 18-17 lead. Escamillan and Pablo sparked a decisive 6-1 run to bring the Chameleons to match point at 24-18 before EJ Cariño sealed the victory with a service ace.
Escamillan also delivered the point that secured Nxled a hard-fought 25-23 second-set win, allowing the Chameleons to build a commanding two-set advantage despite committing 12 errors in the frame.
Rookie Irah Jaboneta, the fifth overall pick in the 2026 PVL Rookie Draft, also impressed in her limited minutes. Sharing libero duties with veteran Bang Pineda, Jaboneta tallied nine excellent digs in just 11 reception attempts.
The Chameleons will look to extend their winning streak when the PVL On Tour heads to Polomolok, South Cotabato for the first time, where they face the Galeries Tower Highrisers on August 1.
(C) PVL Images
Capital1, meanwhile, dropped to 0-2 and will try to break into the win column on August 8 against the Creamline Cool Smashers in Santiago City, Isabela.
Shaya Adorador paced the Solar Spikers with six points, while also posting eight excellent receptions and nine digs. Trisha Genesis, Sydney Niegos, and Ysa Jimenez chipped in five points each in the losing effort.
Libero Detdet Pepito made her debut for Capital1 with a commendable performance, though she exited partway through the third set due to cramps.
