MJ Phillips provided the spark and leadership when Nxled needed it most, as the Chameleons finally showed life without three-time MVP Brooke Van Sickle in the PVL Invitational Conference.
Phillips fired four of the team’s six ace, as Nxled swept defending champion PLDT, 25-19, 25-22, 25-20, to force a tie at 1-1 in the week-long tournament on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
‘I think those serves were ‘tsamba’ (flukes), but it’s okay,’ said Phillips, whose 13 points led the Chameleons. ‘We have to win the serve and pass game. So whoever has the better serve and pass will win this tournament. So we just really put a huge focus on that today and I’m happy that we came out on top.’
Down 14-16 in the third, Phillips joined hands with Lyann De Guzman, who sparkled off the bench with 10 points and nine digs, as her three clutch points ignited an 8-0 run for a 22-16 lead that had Nxled recovering from a tough four-set loss to Creamline on Monday.
Injured shoulder
Phillips, a two-time Finals MVP, is playing above and beyond her original role in the absence of Van Sicke, their prolific captain who is still down with a shoulder injury.
‘I just know that I’m looked at as an ‘ate’ (senior player) by everyone on the team. So I just really want to set an example,’ Phillips said. ‘And I know that we’re missing Brooke. But she’s still a very big, huge impact on the team. Even if she’s off the court.’
Phillips stressed that they are all on the same page, with young guns like De Guzman and Irah Jaboneta and newcomers Gel Cayuna and Jackie Acuña willing to step up as they make a push for the championship match at the very least.
‘We’re really hungry for like a win, and a championship,’ the Filipino-American middle blocker added. ‘Everyone’s stepping up; that’s what we’re seeing. And I see a lot of confidence.’
Next for Nxled
‘In the past, maybe we’d make errors and we’d kind of curl up. But right now, I just feel like we’re really solid right now,’ she said. ‘And even if there’s an error, we’d bounce back. We’re confident that we can do it. So, it’s a big change.’
Veteran Myla Pablo also stepped up with 12 points, highlighted by three blocks and nine digs. Jonah Sabete-Escamillan had nine points and 15 excellent receptions, while setter Cayuna made 15 excellent sets on top of three points.
Nxled has a day to recover before facing EST Cola of Thailand on Thursday, while PLDT seeks to bounce back against Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam.
EST Cola turned to the duo Papatchaya Phontham and 17-year-old setter Natnicha Saelao to foil Farm Fresh, 25-21, 25-16, 25-22, in the other game.
Phontham erupted for 17 points, while Saelao orchestrated EST Cola’s offense with 22 excellent sets and added seven points, highlighted by four kill blocks.
The Thai club forced a four-way tie at 1-1 with Farm Fresh, Nxled, and PLDT.