NXLED rediscovered its winning bite, beating ZUS Coffee, 20-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-19, to snap a four-game skid in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Thursday at the Playtime Filoil Centre.
The victory steadied the Chameleons at 4-4, arresting a slump that erased their 3-0 start and thrusting them back into the thick of the qualifying round chase.
Nxled delivered in the key stretches to finally halt the skid and steady its campaign as the elimination round winds down.
ZUS Coffee, meanwhile, dropped to 1-7, absorbing its fifth straight defeat.
"'Yung composure ng bawat isa talaga 'yung kailangan talaga kasi siyempre, hindi madali na itaas ulit 'yung morale ng bawat isa kasi apat ngang talo na 'yun," said Nxled's Jonah Sabete-Escamillan.
"Tiyagaan din talaga sa bawat isa in trying to connect sa mga teammates namin."
Chameleons see light at end of tunnel
Nxled hardly looked like its usual self early on.
Still reeling from a four-game skid, the Chameleons struggled to find rhythm as ZUS Coffee capitalized on the opening-set tug-of-war and eventually pulled away with a comfortable five-point cushion.
But Nxled finally found its footing in the second frame. What began as a slim 8-7 edge quickly ballooned into a 20-10 advantage after the Chameleons scored 12 of the next 15 points, with Lyann de Guzman stepping in to finish the set and draw the match level.
The third set turned into another tight battle. Nxled held a narrow lead most of the way before Cess Robles sparked a ZUS Coffee fightback that tied things at 20-all.
Thea Gagate kept the Thunderbelles alive by saving a set point to trim the gap to 23-24, but Jov Gonzaga sent an attack straight into the net, handing Nxled the set.
From there, three-time MVP Brooke Van Sickle made sure the Chameleons would not let the opportunity slip. An 8-all deadlock quickly turned into a 15-9 cushion, capped by finishing hits from MJ Phillips and Chiara Permentilla to seal the victory.
Van Sickle led Nxled’s first win since Valentine’s Day with a triple-double of 20 points, 12 receptions, and 10 digs.
Escamillan added 19 points and eight receptions, while Phillips chipped in 12 points highlighted by three blocks and Myla Pablo contributed eight markers.
Bang Pineda anchored the floor defense with 20 digs, while Jules Tolentino orchestrated the offense with 17 excellent sets.
ZUS Coffee, meanwhile, absorbed its fifth straight defeat despite Thea Gagate’s conference-best 16-point outing with six blocks.
Robles added 13 points, Gonzaga had 11, and Alyssa Eroa recorded a double-double of 18 digs and 12 receptions.
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