Nxled kept its dream of a qualifying round berth alive with a sensational comeback, toppling PLDT in four sets, 21-25, 25-23, 25-13, 25-15, to close the preliminary round of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Thursday at the Filoil Centre.
The Chameleons are riding the momentum of back-to-back wins to end the preliminaries and boost their record to 5-4. They will be keeping a close eye on Cignal, hoping for a Creamline stumble that could pave their way into the qualifying phase.
After a sluggish start, Nxled found its rhythm, narrowly edging out a tense second set. The team then unleashed its full power to dominate the next two, completing the upset and ending the High Speed Hitters’ four-game winning streak.
The Chameleons faced little resistance from PLDT in the fourth frame. After taking the first three points and holding a slim 13-11 advantage, they went on a decisive 10-2 run to build a commanding 23-13 lead, never looking back in a match that lasted an hour and 42 minutes.
(C) PVL Images
“I’m really happy about what I saw during the game. I see consistency, I see regularity. I saw a very good development in our side-out. The block and defense are working great,” said Nxled head coach Etorre Guidetti.
“So right now we are finally playing a pretty good volleyball together. This is the best that we can do today. Let’s see if it’s enough. Let’s have some very big crossed fingers and see if this is enough to enter the first four,” he added.
Brooke Van Sickle once again put up an all-around display with 21 points, 11 excellent receptions, and nine excellent digs. MJ Phillips added 16 points on 11 attacks, three aces, and two kill blocks.
Jonah Sabete-Escamillan delivered a double-double of 15 points and 13 excellent receptions, while Myla Pablo contributed 13 points.
Jules Tolentino spearheaded the balanced offensive attack with 21 excellent sets and three points, then Bang Pineda added 11 excellent digs for the Chameleons.
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Meanwhile, the High Speed Hitters, already assured of a spot in the qualifying round, will close the preliminaries with a 7-2 record. They will secure either the first or second seed depending on the outcome of the Super Spikers’ clash with the Cool Smashers.
Savannah Davison top-scored for PLDT with 18 points and 17 excellent receptions. Alleiah Malaluan added 13 markers — all from attacks — along with five excellent digs and receptions.
Majoy Baron had eight points in the loss, while Kianna Dy, who had been stellar all tournament long for the High Speed Hitters, was limited to just eight markers.
Kath Arado registered 19 excellent digs, and Kim Fajardo contributed 15 excellent sets.
