Rookie standout Lyann De Guzman took pride in Nxled’s breakthrough PVL on Tour quarterfinal run, calling it a big step toward their championship aspirations.
It wasn’t the dream ending that Lyann De Guzman and the Nxled Chameleons had hoped for in their PVL on Tour campaign.
Nonetheless, the prized rookie spiker expressed her pride in the Chameleons after their breakthrough run ended in the quarterfinals, where they fell to the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in straight sets, 17–25, 15–25, 20–25, at the PhilSports Arena on Saturday, August 9.
Reaching the knockout stage was already a milestone for Nxled, which had struggled to secure even just a single victory in past conferences. In the preseason, the Chameleons went 4-1 on the way to the no. 2 seed in Pool A.
“Siyempre for me, very proud ako sa team namin kasi nakita nating lahat na grabe, lahat talaga binigay para makaabot dito. For me, sobrang successful nitong preseason namin. Progress lang, one at a time, maaabot din namin yung gusto namin, which is yung championship,” De Guzman said.
“Eto siyempre, very big achievement na sa amin makaabot sa quarters and I'm very happy.”
The 4th overall pick in the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft was an integral part of the Chameleons’ preseason success, showing great flashes under Italian mentor Ettore Guidetti.
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Fresh off her final year in the UAAP, De Guzman acknowledged the grind of the being in the pro league, stressing the importance of stability and consistency across the conferences.
“Kada game lang talaga, ready lang na may ups and downs. Normal lang ‘yun. Nakikita naman natin na kada game, may nagse-step up talaga sa bench pag may pinasok sa coach, which is good kasi kahit sino talaga isalang ni coach na first six, gagana talaga," she said.
"Nakikita natin sa Nxled team, wala talagang first six, kung sinong aangat talaga,” De Guzman added.
[ALSO READ: Lyann De Guzman happy to prove mettle against older, veteran Nxled teammates in PVL on Tour]
Despite bowing out, De Guzman sees the campaign as a valuable step toward the Chameleons’ bigger goals.
“Kailangan lang talaga naming maging stable, maging consistent, kasi alam na namin yung pinakalimit namin eh at kung ano yung kailangang i-work on ng team,” said De Guzman.