Brooke Van Sickle will lead Nxled against Galeries Tower in a knockout match on Saturday (March 28, 2026) in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Nxled is tied for third with Farm Fresh and Akari at 5-4. (PVL photo)
Nxled and Akari head into a pivotal Saturday with their Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference campaigns hanging in the balance at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Chameleons and the Chargers will each fight for survival in separate knockout matches, with the winners moving one step closer to the semifinals.
Nxled, which fell just short of securing an outright spot in the Qualifying Round, takes on Galeries Tower at 4 p.m. in a showdown that promises intensity from the first serve. The Chameleons will lean on the firepower and leadership of Brooke Van Sickle, Myla Pablo, and MJ Phillips as they try to keep their title hopes alive.
On the other side, the High Risers are expected to draw strength from Jean Asis, Roselle Baliton, Aiza Pontillas, and Gayle Pascual as they look to pull off a huge win and extend their campaign.
Despite missing a chance to advance outright, Galeries Tower coach Clarence Esteban remains convinced his squad has what it takes to compete.
“All throughout this season, we didn’t do that badly. We just lacked camaraderie, our players got to know each other. Maybe we would have done better if that happened to our team,” Esteban said in a league news release Friday.
In the main event at 6:30 p.m., Akari faces Choco Mucho in another high-stakes duel packed with star power. The Chargers will turn to Ivy Lacsina, Eli Soyud, and Grethcel Soltones in their bid to stay in the hunt, while the Flying Titans will count on Sisi Rondina, Eya Laure, and Kat Tolentino to deliver in the pressure-packed encounter.
Rondina acknowledged that Choco Mucho has only itself to blame for being in a must-win situation, but stressed that the team remains fully committed to chasing its goals.
“Of course, we also thought that we were responsible for why we were here. So, that’s all we did, which was work, and we still love it. And we will still insist that we still get into what we want to happen to our team,” Rondina said.
The stakes only get higher from there, as Saturday’s winners will advance to face Farm Fresh and defending powerhouse Creamline on April 7 for the last two semifinal berths.
PLDT and Cignal have already secured the first two spots in the semifinals after their victories last Thursday, leaving only two places still up for grabs.
After Saturday’s twin bill, the league will pause for the Holy Week break from March 29 to April 5 before resuming the race to the Final Four.