The Chameleons held off the Highrisers in a tense battle

Nxled secured a gritty straight-set win over Galeries Tower, 25-23, 25-18, 25-23, to advance to the final round of the play-in and edge closer to the semifinals of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Saturday.

Riding a three-game winning streak, the Chameleons will face Farm Fresh on Tuesday in a high-stakes clash for a spot in the round-robin semifinals, joining already-qualified teams PLDT and Cignal.

The match was anything but easy, as Galeries Tower pushed Nxled to the limit. The Highrisers had a chance to extend the match to a fourth set when Erika Deloria delivered a key play in the third, breaking through two blockers to give her team a 23-21 lead. However, Nxled responded with timely plays from Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips, and Myla Pablo. Van Sickle delivered a crucial kill, Musa made a block on Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Phillips served up an ace, and Van Sickle sealed the match with another block, clinching a hard-fought 1-hour-33-minute victory.

“This is a conference with a lot of alchemy, and Galeries is a tough team—they serve well and have a strong block. Every point is a battle,” said Nxled head coach Ettore Guidetti.

The win was especially sweet for Nxled, who had previously endured a four-game losing streak to Galeries Tower, including a heartbreaking 19-25, 25-17, 20-25, 21-25 defeat in February.

Phillips, returning from a knee injury that kept her out of the preliminary meeting with the Highrisers, led Nxled with 17 points, including 13 attacks, three blocks, and an ace. Van Sickle added 14 points, with 12 attacks, two blocks, and nine excellent digs, while Pablo contributed 10 points, including several clutch hits that helped secure the opening set.

Galeries Tower, coming off a stunning upset of Capital1 in the play-in, was led by Deloria’s 13 points, along with 14 excellent receptions and nine digs. Jean Asis added 11 points, while Roselle Baliton and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas contributed nine and eight points, respectively. Setter Julia Coronel orchestrated the offense with 15 excellent sets and five points.

Nxled will now focus on their upcoming showdown with Farm Fresh on Tuesday, with a semifinal berth on the line.