Nxled Eyes Historic Start; Akari, Capital1 in Must-Win Duel

Games Today (Tuesday, July 15)
FilOil EcoOil Arena, San Juan City
4 p.m. – Nxled vs. Galeries
6:30 p.m. – Akari vs. Capital1

While early records suggest predictable outcomes, the PVL On Tour continues to defy expectations, fueled by the growing parity among teams.

That narrative continues today as action resumes with a pivotal double-header at the FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan, marking the start of Week 5 in the preseason tournament organized by Sports Vision.

Nxled, the tournament’s biggest early surprise, aims for a franchise-best 3-0 start when it faces winless Galeries Tower at 4 p.m.

The Chameleons are coming off back-to-back stunners over top-tier teams Petro Gazz (3-2) and Choco Mucho (3-1) in Batangas City, riding strong momentum to stay close behind the unbeaten PLDT High Speed Hitters (3-0) in Pool A.

Rookie sensation Lyann de Guzman has spearheaded Nxled’s breakout, scoring 21 points in their five-set win over the reigning All-Filipino champion Angels, followed by a 24-point explosion against the Flying Titans.

But Nxled’s rise isn’t just about one player, with coach Ettore Guidetti getting key contributions from Chiara Permentilla, EJ Cariño, Krich Macaslang and Jovelyn Fernandez, all stepping up in pressure moments.

Galeries Tower, despite back-to-back losses, has shown flashes of promise through consistent performances by Jewel Encarnacion, Ysa Jimenez and France Ronquillo.

Rookie Jean Asis is also emerging as a potential long-term asset for the Highrisers.

However, to halt the Chameleons’ charge, Galeries must find a way to execute in crunch time—an area that has consistently hurt them in tight finishes.

In the second game at 6:30 p.m., Akari and Capital1 collide in a critical Pool B battle with quarterfinal implications.

At 1-3, the Chargers are fighting to stay alive after a five-set win over ZUS Coffee in Vigan and a five-set loss to Chery Tiggo in Montalban.

Akari’s main concern remains consistency, as the team struggles to string together strong finishes.

Capital1, still searching for its first win at 0-4, is looking to break through after a painful five-set collapse to ZUS Coffee, where the Solar Spikers surrendered a 2-1 set lead.

Coach Jorge de Brito, currently helming Capital1 while Alas Pilipinas players remain sidelined, is leaning on Trisha Genesis, Shola Alvarez and Sydney Niegos to get the job done.

Despite combining for 64 points in their last outing, the trio couldn’t carry Capital1 over the hump—a recurring issue that has cost them winnable matches.

To salvage their campaign and notch that elusive first win, the Solar Spikers must tighten their late-game execution.