Nxled delivered in its debut in the Premier Volleyball League, dominating Gerflor, 25-18, 25-14, 25-19, on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Taka Minowa, the husband of former PVL MVP Jaja Santiago, got his first taste of action in the PVL after his stints with the Saitama Ageo Medics in Japan and Liaoning Tengda in China.
“As a Nxled coach, today’s target is everyone playing inside the court and we did it. In this week, we more focus on block, and more catching and kill point and also defense,” said Minowa after the win.
“Today we had a good stop. We had broke the opponent’s side out system. We got a lot of breakpoint. That’s a good point in this match,” he added.
Nxled’s added focus on blockings showed in its opening match, racking up a total of nine kill blocks compared to the opposing side’s two.
Lycha Ebon, who spent the past three conferences in Akari’s bench, seized her newfound opportunity and led the Chameleons with 14 points on 12 attacks and two blocks while Jho Maraguinot added 11 points and six excellent receptions.
The pair of Krisch Macaslang and May Luna chipped in seven points apiece while the returning Judith Abil had seven points and seven excellent digs in the one hour and 21-minute contest.
Nxled will try to continue its hot start against F2 Logistics on October 24, 3:00 PM at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The Chameleons dominated early in the first set, taking an 18-8 advantage after a Jhona Rosal attack error before weathering a late run by the Defenders en route to a quick 1-0 advantage.
Nxled’s opening-set win set the tone for the rest of the game as they led by as big as 11 points, 21-11, in the second frame after a Lia Pelaga quick before fending off midway into the third set to complete the win.
No player from Gerflor reached double digits in scoring with Pia Sarmiento leading the way with nine points to go along with 13 excellent digs and 11 excellent receptions in the loss.
The Defenders look to bounce back against Petro Gazz this Saturday, 5:00 PM in Batangas City.
