BATANGAS City – Lyann De Guzman, who made waves by skipping her final playing year with Ateneo to chase her pro dreams, made her highly anticipated Premier Volleyball League debut count – and then some.
The explosive wing spiker fired 21 points to power the Nxled Chameleons to a stunning 25-23, 19-25, 19-25, 25-15, 15-10 victory over the stunned Petro Gazz Angels in the PVL On Tour Saturday night here.
It was a star-making performance from De Guzman, who showed nerves of steel and delivered under pressure, propelling her team from a 1-2 set deficit to a breathtaking come-from-behind triumph in front of a raucous crowd at the Batangas City Sports Center.
The result shocked not only the hometown fans but also the Angels, who had just come off a breakthrough title run in the All-Filipino Conference, where they dethroned no less than 10-time champions the Creamline Cool Smashers.
But against Nxled’s youthful energy and fearless resolve, the reigning queens of the league were left scrambling.
And at the center of it all was De Guzman – powerful, poised and precociously dominant.
The former Lady Blue Eagle scattered eight of her total points in the pivotal fourth set, unleashing an array of thunderous spikes, pinpoint down-the-line hits, and sharp crosscourt angles that repeatedly pierced the vaunted Petro Gazz defense.
Her energy was infectious, her confidence palpable. For a rookie, she played like she belonged among the stars – if not already a rising one herself.
Nxled rode on the momentum of their blistering fourth-set run, opening the fifth with a 4-0 blitz, with Jove Fernandez delivering key hits. Even when the more experienced Angels clawed back to tie it at 9, the Chameleons didn’t blink.
They rewrote the script with a decisive 6-1 finishing kick.
While De Guzman only managed one point in the fifth set – a lone ace – her earlier exploits had already reshaped the match’s complexion. That ace came at a critical juncture following a huge block by Krisz Macaslang on Antonette Adolfo. From there, the Chameleons stepped on the gas, with another heroine stepping into the spotlight.
Chiara Permentilla, who had been largely quiet throughout the match, took on the finisher’s mantle with ice in her veins. The former Adamson standout scored Nxled’s last four points, starting with a booming hit off a well-placed Jaja Maraguinot set.
She followed it up with another confident attack to extend the lead to 13-9, and after De Guzman’s lone service miscue, returned to action to deliver the game-winner off another Maraguinot setup.
It was a moment that epitomized her value to the team – not always flashy, but always dependable.
“I’m very happy kasi tinulungan ako ng mga teammates ko,” said De Guzman, who deflected the credit for her heroic outing. “Sobrang kabado ako sa start pero sa tulong nila at ng mga coaches, naging magaan ang laro ko.”
In a tournament where rookies have immediately made their presence felt, De Guzman has already set the early benchmark – a breakout star whose trajectory may very well lead to PVL superstardom.
“It’s a big confidence boost,” she added. “But I wouldn’t have done it without the help of my teammates.”
For Permentilla, it was all about seizing the moment.
After struggling for rhythm through much of the match, she capitalized on the opening laid by De Guzman’s heroics and Maraguinot’s orchestration, showing the composure and clutch mindset that makes her a perfect anchor for Nxled’s mix of youth and hunger.
Permentilla finished with 10 points, next to EJ Cariño’s 12 markers delivered in the first three sets, while Fernandez backed them up with nine points. Krich Macaslang also made her presence felt with eight markers, including three blocks, in a solid all-around effort.
Petro Gazz, for its part, looked on track to take full control after dominating the third set with a commanding six-point win, even in the absence of Alas Pilipinas stalwarts Brooke Van Sickle and MJ Phillips. But the Angels had no answer for Nxled’s searing fourth-set resurgence.
Myla Pablo led the charge for Petro Gazz with 16 points, Nicole Tiamzon added 15, while Jonah Sabete, Marian Buitre, and Joy Dacoron contributed 14, 10, and seven markers, respectively – numbers that would normally be enough to power a team to victory.
But the Chameleons simply refused to fold. And De Guzman’s electrifying performance not only powered Nxled to its first five-set triumph in the young tournament – it also marked a potential changing of the guard and hinted at the rise of a new PVL star.
Meanwhile, Nxled and Choco Mucho clash at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, with both squads aiming for a strong 2-0 start in Pool A, while Petro Gazz and Galeries Tower look to rebound and notch their first win at each other’s expense at 4 p.m.
