EVEN without its biggest star in uniform, Nxled showed it still has more than enough firepower to get the job done.
The Chameleons made quick work of a shorthanded Capital1 side, scoring a 25-17, 25-23, 25-18 sweep to notch their first PVL on Tour victory on Saturday in Vigan.
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EJ Laure-Cariño put the finishing touches on the win, coming off the bench to fire the match-clinching ace in a third set packed with extended rallies and hard-fought exchanges.
Veteran pair Myla Pablo and Jonah Sabete-Escamillan powered the Chameleons with 17 and 13 points, respectively, as Pablo anchored the defense with four of Nxled's 10 blocks.
The victory allowed Nxled to bounce back from its tour-opening loss to Creamline, evening its record at 1-1 while raising its preseason prize haul to P150,000.
"To be honest with you, we don't feel it's an exhibition. The players are putting pressure on themselves, and we are all trying to win every single game. That's the truth. For us, the exhibition is to try to play at our best," said Nxled head coach Ettore Guidetti.
The Chameleons likewise secured their first win without three-time PVL MVP Brooke Van Sickle, who told SPIN.ph back in Candon that she would miss the remainder of the preseason caravan as she continues to recover from a right shoulder injury.
Capital1, meanwhile, dropped its tournament opener without Alas Pilipinas standouts Bella Belen, Vanie Gandler, and Erika Santos, who remain on national team duty.
The defeat also spoiled the debuts of marquee offseason acquisitions Detdet Pepito, Khy Cepada, and Jaja Maraguinot, who all flashed promise but fell short of delivering the Solar Spikers a winning start to their campaign.
Northern lights in Vigan
Nxled raced to a 5-0 start in the opening set and built an 11-point cushion behind a dominant net defense that produced six early blocks while holding Capital1 without one.
Capital1 answered with a better start in the second, but Nxled stayed in control late as Sabete-Escamillan sealed the frame despite the Chameleons squandering their first two set points and committing 13 errors.
In the end, the Solar Spikers never found a go-to scorer, with Shaya Adorador's six points pacing the loss. Rookie Cepada added four markers in her long-awaited PVL debut.
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