New-look Nxled rediscovered its rhythm after a challenging start, edging past Farm Fresh in five sets, 25-23, 13-25, 21-25, 25-15, 15-12, to claim a winning debut in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday at the Filoil Centre.
It was a game of chess on the sidelines, with Chameleons head coach Ettore Guidetti and Foxies tactician Koji Tsuzurabara constantly shuffling their lineups in search of the right combinations.
While both teams experimented in the early exchanges, Nxled found the perfect mix first.
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Rookie Lyann de Guzman and newcomer Aduke Ogunsanya joined starters Brooke Van Sickle, Myla Pablo, MJ Phillips, Jules Tolentino, and Bang Pineda, helping the Chameleons regain control in the final two sets to secure the victory.
De Guzman delivered the scoring punch, while Ogunsanya strengthened Nxled’s net defense as the team dominated the fourth set to level the match. That forced a do-or-die fifth set against a Foxies side that also made several personnel adjustments throughout the game.
From there, Van Sickle and Pablo took over. Van Sickle broke a 10-all deadlock with a blistering cross-court attack, then Pablo followed with back-to-back smart plays that gave Nxled a 13-10 lead.
Trisha Tubu tried to snap Farm Fresh’s drought with a thunderous swing, but the ball clipped the antenna, handing Nxled match point. The Foxies refused to fold, as Royse Tubino fired a down-the-line hit to stay alive, before a Pablo attack error forced Nxled to burn a timeout as the fifth set tightened.
Farm Fresh’s comeback hopes ended after Louie Romero committed a costly service error, giving Nxled the win following a two-hour, six-minute encounter.
“Well, if that’s the beginning… I mean, it was a fearsome match. Farm Fresh played, in my opinion, a very good game, considering it was the first game for everyone,” said Guidetti.
“It was pretty difficult for us to find the correct combination. But luckily, in the 4th and 5th sets, I was able to find the right ones at the right moment. So, we are happy to say that the first step is the right one,” he added.
Van Sickle finished with 20 points on 18 attacks and two kill blocks, along with 11 excellent receptions. Meanwhile, Pablo added 19 points — all from attacks — and six excellent digs as Nxled opened its campaign on a high note.
Phillips contributed 13 points, and de Guzman added seven markers in just three sets. Tolentino recorded 12 excellent sets and five points, including two kill blocks, while Pineda had 20 excellent digs.
Nxled will face Capital1 next on Saturday at 6:30 PM at the Ynares Center Montalban.
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On the other hand, Farm Fresh leaned heavily on Tubu on offense, as she scored a game-high 28 points in a losing effort.
Ces Molina added 14 points on 12 attacks and two aces, with 15 excellent receptions and eight excellent digs, while Tubino chipped in 13 points off the bench. Mylene Paat had six markers, and Ara Galang found herself limited to just two.
Farm Fresh will look to bounce back against Cignal on Tuesday at 6:30 PM at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
