NXLED delivered the first major upset of the 2026 PVL Invitational, sweeping defending champion PLDT, 25-19, 25-22, 25-20, on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Chameleons' breakthrough win blows the race for the two finals berths wide open, as one of the tournament's projected title favorites suffered a surprise stumble on the second hurdle of its title defense.
The High Speed Hitters never found the rhythm that carried them past EST Cola a day earlier, with Myla Pablo-led Nxled imposing its will early and sustaining the pressure in the absence of its own MVP, Brooke Van Sickle, who continues to recover from a shoulder surgery.
Instead, they neutralized PLDT's reigning MVP, Savi Davison, who was coming off a 30-point explosion against the Thai side on Monday, limiting the explosive winger from making the same offensive impact a day later.
Come on, Chameleons
MJ Phillips spearheaded the Chameleons with 13 points on nine attacks, four aces, and a block, while Pablo added 12 points and nine digs.
Lyann de Guzman chipped in 10 points and nine digs, and Jonah Sabete-Escamillan had nine points and 15 receptions, as they sustained their pressure sans Van Sickle.
“Today, I think that simply confirmed that we are playing pretty good volleyball. Yesterday, I should say that we played another pretty good match. We're getting better,” said head coach Ettore Guidetti.
Nxled pounced on its opponent's slow start to build a seven-point cushion in the opening set, then turned a 17-all deadlock in the second into a 6-2 burst to seize a 2-0 lead.
The High Speed Hitters finally found some traction in the third, going up 16-14, but the Chameleons answered with an 8-0 run to shut the door.
Davison finished with 20 points and 16 receptions, but was PLDT's lone double-digit scorer.
Both teams now sit at 1-1 with three games remaining in the preliminaries, leaving little separation in the finals race.
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