MANILA — Nxled Chameleons punched their ticket to the 2026 PVL Invitational championship match after turning back Farm Fresh Foxies, 25-20, 25-21, 18-25, 25-22, Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Nxled wrapped up the elimination round with a 3-2 record, with its finals berth becoming official after PLDT High Speed Hitters outlasted Creamline Cool Smashers, 25-17, 23-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-12.
The Chameleons will battle Thailand’s EST Cola in the winner-take-all championship tonight after the Thai squad topped the eliminations with a 4-1 record.
MarJana Phillips powered the Chameleons with 25 points, highlighted by four service aces and two blocks, to earn Player of the Game honors as Nxled continued to play without star Brooke Van Sickle.
“I’m just proud of everyone’s mentality. It’s a dogfight in this tournament. The immediate bounce back from each game, playing back-to-back, so I’m really proud of our team for having that mentality to keep going even though we’re exhausted,” Phillips said.
After Farm Fresh extended the match by taking the third set, Phillips took charge in the fourth, unleashing three consecutive attacks during a crucial stretch to help Nxled fend off the Foxies’ bid to force a deciding frame.
Jackie Acuña contributed 12 points for the Chameleons, while Jonah Sabete-Escamillan and Myla Pablo added 11 and 10, respectively. Ennajie Laure-Cariño chipped in nine.
“We just had to stay patient. A lot of times we started to get a little uptight, so I kept reminding the girls to just stay patient and just keep going, ’cause trust our skills,” Phillips said. “We’re just never gonna give up, and we’re gonna keep fighting until the end.”
Gel Cayuna orchestrated Nxled’s offense with 22 excellent sets while adding six points.
Trisha Tubu paced Farm Fresh with 20 points, including three blocks, while rookie Jonna Perdido and Ces Molina finished with 13 and 12, respectively. Setter Alohi Robins-Hardy tallied 19 excellent sets and three points.
The Foxies ended their Invitational campaign with a 1-4 record.
EST Cola, meanwhile, secured the other championship berth after sweeping Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, 25-19, 26-24, 26-24, to finish atop the elimination standings at 4-1./PN
