GAMES SATURDAY
(Best-of-3 Quarterfinals)
4 p.m. – Galeries Tower vs Akari
6:30 p.m. – PLDT vs Choco Mucho
NXLED ended its Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference campaign with a 25-17, 25-17, 25-18 victory over Farm Fresh yesterday for a 1-1 record in Pool B of the Play-In tournament at Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Determined to bounce back from a shutout loss to the Chery Tiggo Crossovers last week, the Chameleons overpowered the Foxies from start to finish, salvaging a measure of pride after a challenging main tournament run.
Nxled wasted no time in imposing its strength, capitalizing on the absence of Farm Fresh’s top hitter, Trisha Tubu, who was sidelined due to back issues.
Chiara Permentilla, Krich Macaslang, Lycha Ebon, Lucille Almonte and EJ Laure spearheaded the offense, while Rachel Jorvina anchored the defense with 20 excellent digs, earning her Player of the Game honors.
“We just played very relaxed and leaned on each other all throughout,” said Jorvina. “We wanted to finish our campaign on a high note.”
The Canada-based libero expressed confidence in the team’s future: “We’re confident we can keep up with the other teams – it’s just a matter of time,” she said.
Permentilla and Macaslang led Nxled’s offensive onslaught with nine points each, while Laure and Almonte delivered matching eight-point performances. Ebon contributed seven markers as the Chameleons overwhelmed the Foxies in attacks, 47-25, powering their swift one-hour, 27-minute triumph.
Pierre Abellana provided a late spark for Farm Fresh, finishing with 10 points despite playing only two sets. Rachel Daquis added nine markers, while Caitlyn Viray and Aprylle Tagsip chipped in five points apiece.
Beyond her offensive contributions, Permentilla also stood out on defense, tallying 11 excellent digs, while Almonte complemented Shiela Pineda’s 11 excellent receptions with six of her own, further solidifying Nxled’s all-around dominance.
After two dominant sets, Farm Fresh showed some fight in the third, briefly taking an 11-10 lead following a Rachel Daquis kill block on Ebon. However, Nxled quickly regained control, scoring three straight points, including a Laure backrow hit, before extending their advantage to 19-14 off a Macaslang running attack.
A brief setback from a net violation did little to slow Nxled’s charge, as Laure converted on a combination play, and a successful ball-in/ball-out challenge added to their momentum. Macaslang’s fortunate ace put the Chameleons within three points of victory, and a Farm Fresh attack error further tilted the match in their favor.
The Foxies attempted to rally with a Sarah Gonzales ace, but Laure’s well-placed drop shot extinguished their hopes before Regina Mangulabnan’s ace sealed the win, closing out Nxled’s campaign on a high note.
