Nxled achieved its first-ever back-to-back victories by defeating Galeries Tower, 25-22, 25-18, 25-17, in the Premier Volleyball League Second All-Filipino Conference at the Filoil EcoOil Centre on Thursday afternoon.
Following a significant triumph over sister squad Akari last Tuesday, the Chameleons maintained their momentum.
They put up substantial runs in the first and second frames to secure the win and retain their position in the ninth slot with a 3-5 slate.
“Actually, in the first and second sets, our players were moving tightly. I think they were somewhat afraid to play inside the court against Galeries. So, actually, I want to say it was a bad game, even though we won 3-0,” said Nxled head coach Taka Minowa after the victory.
Despite trailing for the entire first set, the Chameleons rallied in the latter part. They dealt a 9-1 finishing kick that transformed a 16-21 disadvantage into a 25-22 win, giving them a 1-0 lead.
The second set saw a similar narrative, with Nxled – led by Chiara Permentilla and Camille Kal – breaking an 18-all deadlock with a 7-0 blast to move a set away from securing the win.
In the third frame, the Chameleons started hot with a 16-7 lead, sealing their second consecutive victory after an hour and 26 seconds of gameplay.
“Our purpose is to improve more, but they tried to just focus on winning, which is why the players were moving tight. Also, they didn’t have communication today, but in the third set, it was very good; they tried,” added Minowa.
Jho Maraguinot led Nxled with 13 points, accompanied by seven excellent digs and six excellent receptions.
Meanwhile, Krich Macaslang – who injected energy into the team after a slow start – and Lycha Ebon contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Highrisers suffered their seventh consecutive defeat in as many outings, eliminating them from playoff contention.
Andrea Marzan paced Galeries with 11 points, while Audrey Paran had nine markers in the loss.
Nxled aims to extend its winning streak to three games against defending champion Creamline on Thursday at 4:00 PM.
On the other hand, Galeries will face off against Akari earlier that day at 2:00 PM.
