NXLED head coach Ettore Guidetti has a simple explanation for his team’s dramatic transformation over the last two years.
It is not some revolutionary system. Neither is it a coaching secret that suddenly turned the Chameleons from a struggling expansion program into a regular playoff fixture and, now, a legitimate title contender.
READ: Nxled stays alive in PVL Invitational by downing Farm Fresh
According to Guidetti, it was a matter of simply having better players.
"It's pretty simple. The Nxled program developed because we have amazing players now. I'm not different from three years ago. We simply rise up because we have much better players," eh said.
That blunt assessment perhaps best explains the evolution of a franchise that barely got a sniff of the playoffs during its early years after entering the PVL in 2023.
Since Guidetti's arrival in 2024, however, Nxled has steadily built itself into one of the league's more respected programs, adding talent from now-defunct Petro Gazz' champion core and putting them under the tutelage of one of the sport's most accomplished coaches.
But Guidetti himself knows how that perception works.
"This is a part of my work that I like and I don't like, because it's pretty clear that when you have great players, you look like a great coach," he said.
NXLED knocking on finals door
Whatever happens next, Nxled has already supplied another reminder of just how far it has come.
The Chameleons kept their hopes for a maiden PVL Finals appearance alive on Sunday by taking care of their end of the bargain, beating Farm Fresh in four sets behind a herculean 25-point effort from middle blocker MJ Phillips.
Now, they wait as Nxled needs either Creamline or EST Cola to lose later in the day to complete its breakthrough into the championship round.
But whether the cards fall their way or not, Guidetti believes nothing changes about what his team has accomplished in this tournament, especially considering the Chameleons have done it without key pieces, including three-time PVL MVP Brooke Van Sickle.
"I'm really proud the way we played this mini tournament, really intense. It's clear for everyone that this is a fighter team. We fought against everyone. We didn't lose a single set with a big score. We always try our best to bring the victory at home," he said.
"Sometimes, we succeed, sometimes we didn’t. But now, we simply have to wait. What is going to happen doesn't change anything for us. We're going to fight anyway."
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