Photo by MARLO CUETO
Nxled is starting the habit of hosting a block party in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series.
The Chameleons remain unbeaten in the season-opening tournament of the league’s 10th anniversary, but the most eye-popping statistic so far, especially in the last two games, is the number of points they have gotten off stoppages at the net.
Nxled had 14 kill blocks in a 25-16, 22-25, 25-17, 25-19 victory over Galeries Tower on Thursday at Mall of Asia Arena, barely a week after scoring 23 points off blocks in a thrilling five-set victory over Farm Fresh.
Three Nxled stars are leading the league in blocks so far: Jackie Acuña, Brooke Van Sickle and Myla Pablo.
And for Nxled coach Ettore Guidetti, it all boils down to having a talent-rich roster that results in highly competitive training sessions.
“Honestly, I don’t think that I am doing something special,” Guidetti said. “The special thing that we are doing is to have a competitive 6-on-6 [in practice] … because in my coaching experience, making a lot of drills, [that don’t simulate the real] game, doesn’t really develop any skill, especially for players that already know what to do.”
“We are working a lot [on] adaptation and real situations.”
Jonah Sabete-Escamillan scattered 18 kills, two blocks and an ace for a game-high 22 points laced with nine excellent receptions. MJ Phillips finished with 14 points, while Van Sickle sustained her fine form with 12 points and 13 digs. Gel Cayuna orchestrated the offense with 20 excellent sets and scored eight points.
Nxled’s depth also played into the victory, with Guidetti lauding his second unit of EJ Cariño, Lyann de Guzman, Jovelyn Fernandez, Ranya Musa, Krich Macaslang and Djanel Cheng.
“[N]ormally, during … practice, I love to scramble a lot; I love to mix the starting six with the second starting six. … [I]f I play [the] first starting six against the second one, they fight more,” said the Italian coach.
“It looks to me that they are not only technically developing, but they are really fighting because the starting six … are defending their spots and the other ones, they are trying to steal the spot. And this is a very good part of the all-to-start, all-to-play of this conference, because it has [allowed me] to develop all of my players.”
Nxled will have a long break before facing Choco Mucho on Nov. 3 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We want to start strong and finish strong. That’s what we’re working toward,” Sabete-Escamillan said. “Our mindset is to take it one game at a time, and we keep challenging ourselves. We don’t just focus on our wins; we look at how we performed in every game and what the results tell us.”
