Nxled Chameleons coach Ettore Guidetti during a PVL All-Filipino Conference game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net
MANILA, Philippines — After only winning two games in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference, Nxled Italian coach Ettore Guidetti is eying “a good player for every position” in their lottery pick for this year’s Rookie Draft.
Although nothing is cast in stone yet for this year’s draft class, Guidetti looks to maximize their chance to add the missing pieces after ending up as one of the four lottery teams.
READ: PVL: Nxled Chameleons rout Farm Fresh to wrap up All-Filipino campaign
“With no one exactly knows how it will 100 percent work, how many of the university players that we have taken a look at are gonna stay here in the Philippines or play abroad, so for sure right now we’re selecting kind of a big range of players,” said the Nxled rookie coach after ending their season with a 25-17, 25-17, 25-18 sweep of the short-handed Farm Fresh on Thursday at Philsports Arena.
“To be 100 percent honest with you, and not be a hypocrite, we are selecting basically a good player for every position.”
Nxled Chameleons against Farm Fresh Foxies in the PVL All-Filipino Conference. –PVL PHOTO
Guidetti won’t rely too much on the draft as he hopes to prepare for the Reinforced Conference as early as possible to work on their passing.
“Surely, we are much better in managing the out of system situations. So the beginning was a little bit difficult because we weren’t able to understand what was the first task ever that we have to face. And the reality is that we cannot always pass good. Everybody is able to play volleyball when the pass is good. Few teams are able to play volleyball when the pass is bad,” Guidetti said.
“Honestly, the pass doesn’t depend only on us. It depends also from the opposing team’s serve, so it’s something that I (cannot) control. The only thing that I can control is the range of mistakes, the one thing that probably I like last is to lose that many games.”
READ: PVL: Nxled Chameleons coach happy to see improvement translate into win
Nxled captain Chiara Permentilla, who had nine points and 11 digs in two sets played, said she was proud of her team for fighting with pride and ending their conference on a high note.
“The biggest lesson is probably about stepping up and being more accountable to yourself. During the game, you have to know you’ll do your best, and your teammates should have the same mindset. That’s when everything clicks. As a team, we should’ve learned how to handle losses better—turning the lessons from those losses into actions that help us win next time,” said Permentilla in Filipino.
“Next conference, we need to focus more on building team chemistry on the court. You have to expect more from yourself and give it your all, working hard every day for the team’s benefit.”
Permentilla believes that the Chameleons are in good hands with Guidetti, who has been trusting all of his players and equally improving each one.
“We trust him, and we know everything he teaches us is for our benefit. He wants to see our potential and get the best out of us in training. We appreciate how he focuses on everyone, not just the starting six. He makes sure all of us get the chance to showcase what we can do, and that’s something we value,” she said.