NXLED wasted little time turning the page, unveiling a five-player veteran haul ahead of its 2026 PVL campaign.
Leading the first batch of entrants are former Petro Gazz mainstays Jonah Sabete, Djanel Cheng and Ranya Musa, who all found a new home with the Chameleons following the Angels’ decision to take a leave of absence from the league.
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Rounding out the group are two proven winners in ex-Chery Tiggo skipper Aby Maraño and longtime Choco Mucho ace Aduke Ogunsanya, instantly adding championship pedigree and leadership to a retooled Nxled side.
As earlier reported by SPIN.ph, the Petro Gazz trio were among the remaining Angels already set to land with Nxled after entering free agency, effectively jumpstarting the team’s rebuild.
This is only the beginning as more former Petro Gazz standouts are expected to follow in the coming days, as the remnants of the scrapped merger continue to take shape in practice — blending core pieces from both camps into what could quickly emerge as a legitimate title contender off the bat.
Experience is key
Cheng was among Petro Gazz’s pioneer setters when the franchise entered the PVL in 2018, with outside hitter Sabete coming aboard in 2022 and middle blocker Musa a year later.
Together, the trio figured in the Angels’ final two title runs in 2025, while Cheng, in particular, was part of all four Petro Gazz championships since the club’s inception.
Maraño, meanwhile, continues a career shaped by sudden resets, having come off back-to-back team disbandments with F2 Logistics and Chery Tiggo.
One of the country’s most decorated and long-serving middle blockers, she now looks to make a fresh start with Nxled, hoping that a third reset in as many years finally leads to stability as part of the Chameleons’ 2026 retool.
Ogunsanya rounds out the quintet with proven winning pedigree of her own.
Injuries might have limited her three-year stint with Choco Mucho, but a return to full health could allow her to rediscover the championship form she showed from way back in college with La Salle — a potential boost for an Nxled side eager to carve out a breakthrough chapter in its young franchise history.
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