Nxled continued to shine brightly in the PVL All Filipino Conference Siklab Series, turning what was expected to be a stern test into another showcase of its growing championship credentials as it swept Capital1, 25-12, 25-20, 25-18, to move within striking distance of the first semifinal berth at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Saturday.
The Chameleons lived up to their reputation as one of the tournament's most formidable contenders, overwhelming the Solar Spikers in virtually every department to stretch their unbeaten run to five games and remain the only unblemished team in the nine-squad field.
It was complete domination by Nxled, which out-attacked Capital1, 46-36, and erected a massive wall at the net with 10 blocks against none by the Solar Spikers. The Chameleons also fired four aces against one and capitalized on 15 free points while yielding 14 of their own.
Orchestrating Nxled’s offensive assault was playmaker Gel Cayuna, who displayed an exceptional feel for the game, masterfully reading the defense and dictating the tempo of the attack. She finished with 16 excellent sets and scored three points, including her trademark 1-2 play, stretching the Chameleons’ lead to 19-11 in the opening set.
"We just focused on our strengths and reminded each other not to be overconfident. Any team right now is really strong, so we always have to go all-out," said Cayuna in Filipino, who earned Best Player of the Game honors. "That's what we do in training, so it's a good thing it translated onto the court."
Expecting a determined Capital1 side eager to bounce back from back-to-back setbacks, Nxled instead seized control from the opening whistle, crushing the Solar Spikers in the first set, pulling away from a tight second-set encounter with a decisive mid-set surge, then shutting down a late challenge to complete the one-hour, 21-minute rout.
The emphatic victory further underscored Nxled's balance, depth and firepower, qualities that have made it the team to beat so far in the elimination round.
Brooke Van Sickle topscored for Nxled with 13 points, while MJ Phillips had nine and Jackie Acuña and Jonah Escamillan matched seven-point outputs. Myla Pablo, EJ Cariño and Ranya Musa chipped in four markers apiece.
For Capital1, however, the struggles continued despite having three fancied hitters in its arsenal. The Solar Spikers failed to match Nxled's offensive intensity and net presence, absorbing their third consecutive defeat following back-to-back five-set escapes after an opening-day setback. The skid dropped them to a 2-4 record and further complicated their bid for a semis berth in an increasingly crowded race.
Erika Santos led Capital1 with 12 points, while Vanie Gandler chipped in seven. However, Bella Belen, the Series’ leading score with a 20-point average, struggled to find her rhythm against the Chameleons’ solid net defense, managing just five points.
Nxled, meanwhile, is now one win away from formalizing its entry into the Final Four. The Chameleons seek to seal their passage against their sister team, the Akari Chargers on Thursday before plunging into a much-anticipated showdown with fellow title contender Creamline Cool Smashers on Nov. 17.
"Our mindset is that we still shouldn't be complacent. We're still not perfect, we still have a lot of lapses, and those are what we need to polish so we can execute our game plan much better," added Cayuna.
They will close out their elimination-round campaign against winless ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles on Nov. 21.
Capital1 faces an uphill battle, with the Farm Fresh Foxies on Nov. 14 and the Galeries Tower Highrisers on Nov. 19 next on its schedule. The Solar Spikers have little room for error and must sweep both assignments to keep their backdoor semis hopes alive, assuming the results of the other contenders fall in their favor and none of Choco Mucho, Farm Fresh, Akari and PLDT goes beyond four victories.
Nxled and Creamline (4-1), remain tipped to secure the first two semifinal berths, with the Chameleons now firmly in pole position following another commanding performance.
Capital1 kept the third set close, but Escamillan delivered back-to-back hits to extend the Chameleons’ lead to 20-15. The Solar Spikers then faltered, allowing Nxled to widen the gap to 23-15 on a Cayuna ace.
Phillips scored on a drop ball to counter Cherry Nunag’s running attack. After Erika Santos saved a match point, Pablo rose to block Belen’s attack, sealing the victory.
