Chiara Permentilla is embracing healthy competition as she works to earn her spot in the Nxled Chameleons’ loaded roster in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
From a group on the path to a rebuild to a team suddenly viewed as a contender, expectations have quickly changed for the Nxled Chameleons in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
For Chiara Permentilla, the shift hasn’t altered the team’s day-to-day approach.
The Fil-Italian spiker emphasized that the Chameleons are choosing to stay present, prioritizing work and chemistry over labels.
“Well, expectations are always gonna be there,” Permentilla told One Sports. “Pero at the end of the day, we take it day by day—training after training and game by game.
“Whatever happened last conference, wala na ’yun. And whatever is gonna happen next, we really cannot predict what’s gonna happen sa games.”
Healthy competition
The Chameleons were the biggest winners during the offseason after signing the Petro Gazz Angels’ championship core in Brooke Van Sickle, Myla Pablo, MJ Phillips, Jules Tolentino, Jonah Sabete, Bang Pineda, Jellie Tempiatura, Nicole Tiamzon, and Ranya Musa.
Nxled also signed Aby Maraño, Joyme Cagande, and Aduke Ogunsanya, making the squad a total of 24 players.
Because of this, the revamped roster has also brought increased competition, particularly among the spikers—something Permentilla sees as both a challenge and an opportunity.
“It’s really a privilege to be able to share the court with big names such as Brooke, Ate Myla, and MJ,” she said.
“Talagang healthy competition siya, and for me personally, it really pushes me to work harder, to do better, to triple my efforts.”
Rather than shying away from the pressure, Permentilla said the internal battle for playing time has fueled her motivation.
“At the end of the day, whoever’s gonna play for sure deserves the spot,” she said.
“I want to be able to get there na kasama ko silang maglaro. I know I need to work hard—twice as much—so added motivation talaga siya para mag-better pa ako as a player.”
[ALSO READ: PVL: Lyann De Guzman soaks in lessons from Petro Gazz champion core in Nxled]
First up for Permentilla and the Chameleons will be the Farm Fresh Foxies later at 4:00 p.m. at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan.
—
Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.