By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Nxled overcame a shaky start to sweep a determined Galeries Tower squad, 26-24, 25-23, 25-23, and stay unbeaten in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) On Tour at the Filoil EcoOil Arena in San Juan City on Tuesday, July 15.
The win marked the Chameleons’ third straight victory — their best start in franchise history — tying them with the PLDT High Speed Hitters atop the Pool A standings.
EJ Cariño powered the team with 16 points built on 14 kills, while Jovelyn Fernandez added 14 points, including 13 attacks.
“It was a tough battle, but we started playing as a team midway through the first set. We became more patient, our passing improved, and my opposite spikers did a very good job,” said Nxled head coach Ettore Guidetti.
The Chameleons had a sluggish start, trailing 4-13 early in the opening set. But a spirited 9-1 run brought them within a point at 13-14, shifting the momentum in their favor.
Cariño, Fernandez, and Chiara Permentilla capitalized on the turnaround to steal the set, and eventually the match.
Permentilla, who came off the bench in the first set, contributed 13 points and teamed up with Janel Maraguinot to anchor the defense, accounting for 13 of the team’s 35 excellent digs.
Despite a valiant effort, Galeries Tower remained winless in three outings. Jewel Encarnacion and Jean Asis led their offense with 15 and 11 points, respectively.
In the other match, Eli Soyud and Princess Madrigal combined for 23 points to lead Akari to a straight-sets victory over Capital1, 25-23, 25-18, 25-23.
The win marked the Chargers’ second in five games, while the Solar Spikers suffered their fifth consecutive loss.
Akari dominated with a strong offensive performance, outspiking Capital1, 48-34, with Soyud and Madrigal spearheading the attack.
Rachel Austero, Sydney Niegos, and Rovena Instrella contributed a combined 32 points for Capital1, but their efforts fell short against Akari’s cohesive play.
