All-Filipino Conference kicks off Saturday; Nxled among favorites

FROM 12 to 10 teams, a new format and a completely different landscape await the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) when it closes the season with the All-Filipino Conference (AFC) unfurling on Saturday.

- EDITOR FRANCISCO P. BALTAZAR

NXLED CHAMELEONS

With the defending champion Petro Gazz out on an indefinite leave and Chery Tiggo leaving, it will now be up to the remaining clubs to battle it out for the biggest, toughest and most prestigious conference of it all —the AFC.

Nxled, after absorbing the bulk of that Angels franchise that won it all in this same conference a year ago, should be one of the title favorites along with powerhouse teams like 10-time champion Creamline and PLDT, last year’s PVL on Tour and Invitational titlist.

The Chameleons will parade a vastly improved roster of Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips, Myla Pablo, Jonah Sabete, Jules Tolentino and Bang Pineda from Petro Gazz, Aby Marahio from Chery Tiggo and Aduke Og-unsanya from Choco Mucho.

“It will be a good problem,” said Nxled coach Ettore Guidetti of the team lineup logjam.

For the Cool Smashers, they should be strong candidates to reclaim the title they last won two years ago especially now that Jia de Guzman is back after a three-year absence along with another returnee in Bernadeth Pons.