Photo: PVL
Nxled came agonizingly close to breaking into the win column but ultimately fell short in a grueling five-set battle against Cignal, 25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 25-15, 16-14, in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference at the Ynares Center in Montalban, Rizal on Saturday.
The Chameleons looked poised to secure their first win of the tournament after seizing a 2–1 set advantage, displaying renewed energy and cohesion behind the explosive scoring of Paola Martinez. However, despite a valiant effort, their late-game composure wavered as Cignal rallied back in the final two frames.
Martinez spearheaded Nxled’s attack with a spectacular 38-point outburst built on relentless spiking and timely blocking. Her all-around brilliance was complemented by solid support from veterans Chiara Permentilla and Lyann de Guzman, who chipped in 16 and 11 points, respectively.
At the net, Nxled’s blocking proved to be one of its strongest weapons, tallying 14 rejections—four more than Cignal. Middle blockers consistently challenged opposing hitters, allowing the team to control long stretches of the second and third sets.
Setter Jaja Maraguinot directed the offense with 28 excellent sets, orchestrating a balanced distribution that kept Cignal’s defense guessing. Despite the team’s overall fluidity, however, service reception lapses and costly errors down the stretch allowed the Super Spikers to claw back into the match.
Nxled had several chances to seal the victory in the deciding fifth set. After falling behind early, the Chameleons regrouped to take leads of 7–4 and later 10–7, with Martinez continuing to find openings in Cignal’s defense. They even reached match point at 14–13 following a block-touch hit, but crucial misfires in the final rallies proved fatal.
The defeat was a painful one for Nxled, which showcased its most competitive performance yet but still ended up with its fourth straight loss (0–4) in Pool A. Despite the result, the Chameleons demonstrated significant improvement in teamwork, defense, and offensive rhythm, offering hope that a breakthrough win could be just around the corner.
As the Reinforced Conference progresses, Nxled aims to translate its flashes of brilliance into a complete performance that can finally deliver the elusive victory the team has been chasing.
