Two stunning turnarounds marked the 2026–27 PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series double-header at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday. The Galeries Tower Highrisers snapped a four-match losing streak by beating the Akari Chargers , 25-22, 26-24, 23-25, 15-25, 15-10, in five sets, while the Nxled Chameleons erased an eight-point deficit in the third set and went on to beat the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17, to share the lead in the standings.
Galeries Tower Breaks Through
The Highrisers have their first win of the conference. After four straight defeats, and a drought dating back to a March victory over the Capital1 Solar Spikers, Galeries Tower outlasted the Chargers in a roller-coaster encounter that lasted 2 hours and 22 minutes and was the seventh five-setter of the series.
It looked like a straight-sets win after the Highrisers took the first two sets. But Akari snatched the third after a late surge and overwhelmed Galeries Tower in the fourth to force a decider. This time, though, the Highrisers didn’t buckle.
The fifth set was a test of nerves, with five deadlocks and three lead changes. Erika Deloria broke a 3-all count with a three-hit burst, and Eli Soyud’s off-speed hit put Akari ahead at the changeover after Grethcel Soltones tied it at 7. Then came the answer. A Roselle Baliton push and a Lycha Ebon attack ignited a 4-1 run, and Jean Asis capped it with back-to-back hits to put Galeries Tower in control. Alyssa Bertolano took over in the clutch, scoring on a check ball before delivering the finishing blow.
Deloria had 20 points, 11 excellent digs, and 28 excellent receptions. “It boiled down to composure in the fifth set,” she said. “It’s a game, hindi mo alam kung hanggang saan yung momentum, so we just maintained our composure.” Asis added 14 points, Bertolano had 12, and Ebon chipped in eight as Galeries Tower matched Akari’s 67 attack points.
Soyud led Akari with 24 points, following a 30-point effort against Farm Fresh, and Ivy Lacsina had 13. Fifi Sharma and Faith Nisperos added 12 and 10. The Chargers, who had a two-game winning run snapped, fell to 2-3. They had an 11-5 edge in blocks, but Galeries Tower benefited from 28 Akari errors.
Nxled Pulls Off the Comeback of the Series
Nxled is still perfect, and it needed a miracle to stay that way. Choco Mucho led the third set, 22-14, and looked ready to take control after the teams split the first two sets. Then the Chameleons unleashed an 11-1 run, with Myla Pablo and Brooke Van Sickle spearheading the charge. The rally ended with an MJ Phillips ace that the Flying Titans appeared to judge as sailing long. It dropped in. Nxled won the set, 25-23, and coach Guidetti Etorre exploded in celebration on the sidelines.
Choco Mucho never recovered. Nxled surged to an 11-7 lead in the fourth and reached match point at 24-16 after a rushed, wide attack from Isa Molde. Caitlyn Viray saved the first match point, but Van Sickle ended it with a powerful kill through a double block after two hours and two minutes.
Van Sickle posted a triple-double of 19 points, 12 excellent digs, and 10 receptions. “We just kept reminding ourselves to stay together, just as coach Guidetti kept telling us,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how many sets you’re up or how many points you have.” Phillips had 13 points, Pablo had 12, and Jonah Escamillan and Jackie Acuña added 9 each. Nxled outblocked Choco Mucho, 13-5, and made four aces to the Flying Titans’ two, even though it was outscored in attacks, 61-56. The Flying Titans also committed 25 unforced errors to Nxled’s 19.
The win was Nxled’s fourth in a row and put it in a share of the lead with the Creamline Cool Smashers. Choco Mucho slipped to 3-2. Sisi Rondina-Rosales, Eya Laure, Viray, and Kat Tolentino tried to regroup, but the damage was done.
