THE Nxled Chameleons battle Thailand’s EST Cola for the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) championship at the Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday.
The game is set at 6:30 p.m.
This marks the Nxled franchise’s first-ever finals appearance since joining the league in 2023, while EST Cola becomes only the fourth guest team to reach the championship match, following KingWhale Taipei (2022), Kurashiki Ablaze (2023), and Kobe Shinwa University (2025).
Nxled’s finals appearance came as a surprise, as after finishing the single-round robin match with a 3-2 win-loss record, the team relied on fate and luck to see whether they would make it to the finals.
The Chameleons delivered their job after a four-set win over Farm Fresh Foxies, 25-20, 25-21,18-25, 25-22, on Sunday, with MJ Phillips leading the scoring, churning out 25 points in the match.
As EST Cola secured a finals ticket after sweeping Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City in straight sets, Nxled had to wait on the outcome of the match between PLDT and Creamline.
In a five-set thriller, PLDT defeated Creamline, allowing Nxled to barge into the finals via point ratio as Nxled finished with a 3-2 record and 10 points, Creamline with 3-2 and 9 points, and PLDT with 3-2 and 8 points.
“Well, I’m super happy, of course, it’s our first time making the finals with Nxled. You can see that, all the teams are really tired too and the games are everyday,” Myla Pablo, who was present in Creamline and PLDT’s clash shared.
In its preliminary round match up, EST Cola prevailed over Nxled in a grueling five-set clash, 26-24, 21-25, 21-25, 30-28, 15-12, on Sept. 3.
Despite star player Brooke Van Sickle not suiting up for the team as she is aiding a right shoulder injury, Jonah Sabete-Escamillan and Pablo joined in their forces after scoring 26 and 16 points, respectively, in an attempt to beat the Thai squad.
However, Papatchaya Phontham and Nannhaphat Moonjakham fired from all angles after scoring 26 and 22 points, each to escape with a victory.
Before the gold medal match, Creamline and PLDT will face once more in the battle for third at 4 p.m.
At 1:30 p.m., the Farm Fresh Foxies and Ho Chi Minh City will clash for the classification place, determining which team will be placed fifth and sixth.
