The Nxled Chameleons made sure history would not repeat itself.
The Chameleons survived another late rally, this time from Ho Chi Minh City, to escape with a 25‑20, 31‑33, 25‑17, 25‑22 victory in the 2026 PVL Invitationals on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After letting an eight‑point fourth‑set lead slip against EST Cola a day earlier, Nxled found itself in a similar situation against the Vietnamese guest team.
The Chameleons appeared in control at 19‑11, only for Ho Chi Minh City to claw its way back and come within one, 22‑21.
This time, though, Nxled finished the job.
Veterans Power Nxled to Strong Finish
MJ Phillips and Jonah Sabete‑Escamillan combined for three of the team’s final four points, allowing the Chameleons to close out the two‑hour, 15‑minute match and improve to 2‑2.
“It looks like we love to fight because the last game was a five‑setter; it was really tough. We wanted to immediately show that we never back down. We will never be broken after losing a match and that we are ready to fight,” said head coach Ettore Guidetti.
The victory moved Nxled into a tie with PLDT for third and fourth, although the Chameleons hold third place with seven match points compared to the High Speed Hitters’ six.
Gel Cayuna kept Nxled’s offense moving with 35 excellent sets, helping five players finish in double figures.
Sabete‑Escamillan and Myla Pablo led the balanced attack with 18 points apiece, while the former also contributed 20 excellent receptions and 15 excellent digs.
Phillips added 17 points, EJ Laure‑Cariño had 16, and Jackie Acuña chipped in 12.
For Ho Chi Minh City, the loss ended its hopes of reaching the gold medal match. The Vietnamese club fell to 1‑3 and remained tied with Farm Fresh in the bottom half of the standings.
Captain Dang Thi Kim Thanh finished with 15 points and 15 excellent digs, while 16‑year‑old Ho Thi Bich Diep followed her strong performance against PLDT with 13 points. Dao Thi Nhung added 11.
What’s Next
Nxled now has one more preliminary‑round game to strengthen its case for the Finals, facing the Farm Fresh Foxies on Sunday, September 6, at 1:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City will close its campaign against EST Cola later that day.
