Games Tuesday
(FilOil EcoOil Arena)
4 p.m. – PLDT vs Farm Fresh
6:30 p.m. – Cignal vs Creamline
BATANGAS CITY – Two explosive performances don’t instantly make a volleyball superstar. But in Leyann De Guzman’s case, they might just be the opening act of a remarkable rise.
The Nxled Chameleons’ prized rookie once again turned heads with a commanding display of power, poise and purpose, leading her team to a stunning straight-set victory over the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, 25-20, 26-28, 27-25, 25-22 in the PVL On Tour at the Batangas City Sports Center here on Sunday night.
After igniting the league with a 21-point eruption in Nxled’s thrilling five-set shocker over Petro Gazz Saturday – a game that instantly stamped her arrival – De Guzman followed it up with another high-octane outing. She delivered 24 points on a barrage of thunderous kills, including eight of the team’s last 15 points in the opening frame to fuel a fiery comeback from a 10-13 deficit.
But it was her final ace — the last of three — that sealed the emotional two-hour, 11-minute victory. Unaware that her serve had barely kissed the baseline, she triumphantly raised both arms when the point was confirmed, then dropped to her knees in tears, revealing the human side of a rising phenom poised to take the league by storm.
She had been shackled, checked and denied multiple times throughout the match. Yet each setback only strengthened her resolve – to fight harder, deliver when it mattered, and lead the Chameleons to a place they had never been before.
“Excited ako sa team na ’to. Nakikita ko talaga ’yung potential – alam kong aabot kami sa Final Four sa tournament na ’to,” she said after notching her second straight Best Player of the Game award.
That, however, remains to be seen – with growing parity across the league and every match increasingly unpredictable, nothing is guaranteed.
At just 23, the former Ateneo stalwart has quickly evolved from rookie hopeful to league game-changer. Her fiery presence, ability to deliver in clutch moments, and relentless drive have made her the focal point of an Nxled squad that has taken down two of the PVL’s most established teams to emerge as the solo leader in Pool A.
Skipper Chiara Permentilla also shone for the second straight game with 19 points, majority clutch hits, while Jovelyn Fernandez turned in a quiet but equally impressive 14-point performance and EJ Carino and Krich Macaslang chipped six and five points, respectively.
But it wasn’t just De Guzman, Permentilla or Fernandez who shone. Another rookie, May Ann Nuique, also rose to the occasion. Re-inserted late in the fourth set, the former Adamson Lady Falcon made an immediate impact with a crucial block on Isa Molde, sparking the Chameleons’ decisive 3-0 finishing run.
That momentum shift came right after Aduke Ogunsanya squandered Choco Mucho’s slim 22-21 lead with a costly service error.
