WHILE Nxled’s first defeat brought in disappointment, it also brought out clarity, according to middle blocker Aby Maraño.
The new-look Chameleons were tripped by the first time in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference by Galeries Tower - and it was a sobering reminder that promise alone does not win matches.
READ: Galeries Tower pulls rug from under BVS-led Nxled
“Yes, wake-up call siya for the team and we're taking this as a lesson, a big lesson for everyone,” Maraño said.
Rather than dwell on the defeat, the 5-foot-8 veteran saw value in its timing. With the conference still young, the loss exposed cracks that could still be repaired.
“I think it's good na nangyari na siya early on in this part of the conference, so we'll know what areas yung mga kailangan namin i-improve pa sa team,” she added.
Nxled entered the season carrying heightened expectations, buoyed by a reinforced roster from the core of defending champion Petro Gazz.
But Maraño, one of the team’s emotional anchors, understood that even the most prepared teams are not immune to off days.
As she put it, “Mataas talaga yung expectation sa team. Pero it's not all the time that you get your A-game. So what's important is how are we going to get back up from the loss.”
That response should begin not on game day itself, but in the quiet grind of training.
“So the next day, bawi agad. Hindi yung sa game babawi. Next training day, the intentional quality all the time, give the extra effort to improve,” she emphasized.
“Even na professional athletes kami, hindi naman dapat natatapos yung aral.”
Aby's new digs
In the loss, the battle-tested middle found something personal to build on, as her performance became a step forward in her own journey to rediscover confidence and rhythm in a new environment.
“Before ako napunta dito sa Nxled, isa talaga sa mga gusto ko mangyari is ma-build ko yung confidence ko ulit,” she shared, as she continues with her first year in her new team.
“So ito siguro yung breakthrough ko kahit paano na ma-express ko ulit kung ano yung mga hindi nakikita lagi ng mga tao.”
More than statistics or rotations, Maraño’s focus remains simple: impact the game whenever called upon.
“Ako, ang inisip ko lang 'pag pinasok ako dyan, gusto ko quality minutes. Ibigay ko talaga yung sarili ko. I don't mind kung anong set ako ipasok, kahit saan. Basta all-out lang talaga ako parati,” she said.
In the end, the Chameleons' real response will not be measured by what they lost, but by what they become after it.
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