BATANGAS City – Lyann De Guzman, who made waves by skipping her final playing year with Ateneo to chase her pro dreams, made her highly anticipated Premier Volleyball League debut count – and then some.
The explosive wing spiker fired 21 points to power the Nxled Chameleons to a stunning 25-23, 19-25, 19-25, 25-15, 15-10 victory over the stunned Petro Gazz Angels in the PVL On Tour Saturday night here.
It was a star-making performance from De Guzman, who showed nerves of steel and delivered under pressure, propelling her team from a 1-2 set deficit to a breathtaking come-from-behind triumph in front of a raucous crowd at the Batangas City Sports Center.
The result shocked not only the hometown fans but also the Angels, who had just come off a breakthrough title run in the All-Filipino Conference, where they dethroned no less than 10-time champions the Creamline Cool Smashers.
But against Nxled’s youthful energy and fearless resolve, the reigning queens of the league were left scrambling.
And at the center of it all was De Guzman – powerful, poised and precociously dominant.
The former Lady Blue Eagle scattered eight of her total points in the pivotal fourth set, unleashing an array of thunderous spikes, pinpoint down-the-line hits, and sharp crosscourt angles that repeatedly pierced the vaunted Petro Gazz defense.
Her energy was infectious, her confidence palpable. For a rookie, she played like she belonged among the stars – if not already a rising one herself.
Nxled rode on the momentum of their blistering fourth-set run, opening the fifth with a 4-0 blitz, with Jove Fernandez delivering key hits. Even when the more experienced Angels clawed back to tie it at 9, the Chameleons didn’t blink.
Myla Pablo led the charge for Petro Gazz with 16 points, Nicole Tiamzon added 15, while Jonah Sabete, Marian Buitre, and Joy Dacoron contributed 14, 10, and seven markers, respectively – numbers that would normally be enough to power a team to victory.
Meanwhile, Choco Mucho’s rookie duo stood their ground in the face of Jean Asis’ fiery breakout, steering the Flying Titans to a hard-earned 25-19, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20 victory over the Galeries Tower Highrisers in the first game.
In a clash of depleted lineups – owing to key absences from national team duties and injuries – the spotlight shifted to the rookies, and they didn’t disappoint. While Asis dazzled early with her athleticism and varied offensive arsenal, it was the Flying Titans’ own fresh faces who ultimately tipped the scales in the second leg of the pre-season tournament organized by Sports Vision.
A pair of Adamson rookies, Ayesha Juegos and Jen Villegas, played beyond their years, complementing Choco Mucho’s veterans with composure and timely execution. The two delivered when it mattered most, especially after the Titans were stunned by Galeries Tower’s dominant 12-point rout in the second frame.
Riding that momentum, Choco Mucho built an early cushion in the fourth set, 8-4, and maintained control despite multiple Galeries Tower comeback attempts. Cheng and Isa Molde provided the offensive thrust, but it was Juegos and Villegas who added the finishing touches.
Juegos, in particular, delivered the final two points, capping her impressive league debut with a sharp crosscourt hit followed by a deflected kill that ended the match.
Molde paced the Titans with 20 points, while Cheng and Royse Tubino added 13 and eight markers, respectively. Juegos and Villegas chipped in seven points apiece in a confidence-boosting one-hour and 49-minute win.
