Ettore Guidetti said Nxled’s full rotation in its 2026 PVL All-Filipino opener showed a team ready to adapt as the Chameleons continue to find the right combinations early in the conference.
True to their team name, the Nxled Chameleons adapted.
The revamped Chameleons did so in their opening match of the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference, outlasting the Farm Fresh Foxies in a five-set thriller on Tuesday at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan.
Head coach Ettore Guidetti leaned into the team’s depth from the opening serve, cycling through all 14 players as Nxled searched for the right combinations before pulling away in the final two sets.
“It was pretty difficult for us to find the correct combinations, but luckily, the 4th and the 5th set, I have been lucky to find the correct ones at the correct moment. And so, we are happy to say that the first step is the right one,” Guidetti said during the post-game press conference.
Finding the right combinations
It was an early test for the revamped Chameleons squad, which brought in the Petro Gazz Angels’ championship core during the offseason.
With just about a month of preparation, Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips, Jules Tolentino, and Myla Pablo, among others, had to find their groove alongside Nxled’s original core of Chiara Permentilla, Krich Macaslang, and Lyann De Guzman.
[ALSO READ: PVL: Wearing Nxled green brings Brooke Van Sickle back to her college roots]
With 24 players on the roster, several were left out of the lineup, either due to injuries or simply because of the team’s depth.
But despite the heavy rotation, Guidetti stressed that the goal never changed.
“My priority was to win,” he emphasized. “We simply tried the same stuff that we try in every single practice.”
“Myla [Pablo] is spiking sometimes from position four and a lot of times from position two. The same with the middles—they change, they switch, so we are ready to adapt.”
Head coach Ettore Guidetti found the right combination for the Nxled Chameleons late in their match against the Farm Fresh Foxies. | Photo: PVL
For the Italian coach, the approach aligns perfectly with the Chameleons’ identity.
“It’s pretty simple when you are a chameleon—to switch,” he said.
From rebuilding team to championship contenders
Beyond the win, Guidetti acknowledged that Nxled enters this conference with a different mindset compared to previous seasons.
“This is a team that wants to arrive and play on the top for the whole conference,” he said. “Before, Nxled was trying to find its identity, whether it was a team to stay on the bottom or to finish in the first six.”
[ALSO READ: PVL: Lyann De Guzman soaks in lessons from Petro Gazz champion core in Nxled]
Despite the heightened expectations, Guidetti emphasized that his coaching principles remain unchanged.
“I didn’t switch a single part of my style of coaching,” he explained. “I coach young players and experienced players in the same way.”
“There’s only one volleyball—and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Up next for the Chameleons will be the Capital1 Solar Spikers on Saturday, February 7, at the Ynares Center Montalban.
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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.