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Nxled rookie Lyann de Guzman seizes the moment as she plays with championship-winning veterans in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
Heading into the Nxled Chameleons’ 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference campaign, all eyes were on their veteran additions, having signed most of Petro Gazz’s title-winning core ahead of the four-month long tournament.
As expected, those veterans came through in Nxled’s opener against the Farm Fresh Foxies, with captain Brooke Van Sickle and Myla Pablo showing way in the Chameleons’ thrilling 25-23, 13-25, 21-25, 25-15, 15-12 victory on Tuesday in San Juan.
Still, Nxled’s opening-day win wouldn’t have been possible without Lyann de Guzman. Even with all the veteran names on Nxled, the rookie spiker shone off the bench, providing a spark when the Chameleons needed it the most.
Inserted midway through Set 3, the former Ateneo product finished with seven points, doing most of her damage in the final two sets for Nxled.
“Sabi ko nga sa mga previous interview, kung ano ‘yung kailangan ni coach [Ettore Guidetti], maging ready lang,” De Guzman said. “Maging ready lang ako kung open hitter or opposite spiker, and kapag pinasok talaga ako, bibigay ko lang ‘yung 110 percent ko.”
It was a matter of seizing the moment for De Guzman, who relishes the chance to play and learn from a core of championship-winning players. Making this experience much sweeter, she said, was the humility showcased by these veteran names.
“Actually, marami akong natutunan sa mga ates ko like sina ate Brooke, sina ate Myla. Maganda rin kasi they’re willing to help us talaga na maging on top din sa performance namin, and nagiging healthy competition siya because everyone is willing to help each other na umangat,” she said.
“Parang sila nga ‘yung mga bagets. Kasi madali sila i-approach…pero noong una, sobrang nahihiya ako kasi mga ates ‘yan at dati lang sobrang idol ko sila. Ngayon teammates ko na and happy ako kasi madali ‘yung naging bonding namin. Lahat madali i-approach.”
No less than Van Sickle took notice of Lyann de Guzman’s impact, even comparing her presence to that of a “firecracker” against the Foxies.
“Lyann’s awesome! I absolutely love her presence on the court; she made a difference not only in terms of her points and her play, but she came in and was like a firecracker. She helped us spark some energy when she came in,” Van Sickle said.
With Lyann de Guzman proving her mettle early on, Van Sickle is just glad to have a young gun she and Nxled can rely on in the long run.
“To have a young player to be able to do that is amazing. I really like her demeanor and atittude on the court, and I’m just super stoked that she’s on my side of the net and not the other team’s!” Van Sickle said with a smile.
“So I’m just excited to see her growth throughout the season and I’m just grateful to be her teammate.”
Images courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.