Written by Akari Sports Staff | Photo from the PVL
Nxled faces Farm Fresh in a riveting knockout match on Tuesday in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Playtime Filoil Centre.
The winner will advance to join PLDT High Speed Hitters and Cignal HD Spikers, along with the survivor of the other play-in match between Creamline Cool Smashers and Akari Chargers, in the round-robin semifinals beginning Saturday. Meanwhile, the loser will see its season come to an abrupt end.
The Chameleons have clawed their way through the knockout stages and now carry both momentum and belief.
Nxled’s emphatic sweep of Galeries Tower and Akari’s grueling five-set escape against Choco Mucho before the Holy Week break underscore the kind of resilience that thrives in high-pressure environments.
After encountering a rough patch of losing four in a row, the Chameleons seem to be back to their lofty pre-conference billing.
Nxled enters the 4 p.m. clash with Farm Fresh, brimming with a lot of confidence. When the Chameleons click, they are really explosive.
“Well, to be honest with you, I am playing with a team that is normally facing every single final part of the season with a lot of very good attitude and amazing results. So, how to explain? It’s risky every single time to play games like this. But for us, probably, it’s more risky to play games that we have to win compared to the games that we can’t win,” said coach Ettore Guidetti after his team beat the Highrisers.
“Today was a game that we had to win. And it was kind of emotionally tough. Now, we play with a big team. And that’s a game that we can win. And maybe, emotionally, it will be a little more easier for us to play against a big team,” the Italian mentor added.
Armed with scoring punch, veteran savvy, and depth across positions, the Foxies have all the tools to match the Chameleons point for point.
Nxled, unveiling its souped-up roster led by MVP Brooke Van Sickle, defeated Farm Fresh, 25-23, 13-25, 21-25, 25-15, 15-12, last Feb. 3.
The Chargers emerged victorious in the preliminary round against the Cool Smashers, 25-21, 26-24, 17-25, 25-21, last March 12, but in a sudden-death scenario at 6:30 p.m., it will be a different story.
