MANILA, Philippines – The NXLED Chameleons join the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) as the league’s 12th professional squad before the All-Filipino Conference in October.

The newest professional squad announced on Thursday that it will formally join the PVL beginning with the 2023 season’s second All-Filipino Conference.

The PVL gratefully welcomed NXLED as the newest member of the country’s only professional volleyball league. In a statement, Akari Sports Director Russel Balbacal expressed the team’s intention to assemble a strong NXLED squad. They also intended to establish the groundwork for a fruitful alliance by fostering a more robust collaboration with Ricky Palou and the entire PVL team.

NXLED, a sub-brand of Akari Lighting and Technology Corporation, joined Farm Fresh, Gerflor, and Foton as recent Invitational Conference entrants.

The PVL now has four sibling teams on the roster, including Rebisco’s Creamline and Choco Mucho, Manny V. Pangilinan’s clubs Cignal and PLDT, Chery Tiggo and Foton, as well as the Chameleons joining the Chargers.

According to Inquirer sources, NXLED will include additional Akari players because its sister team will transfer some of its players to the new team for the franchise.

Shaya Adorador, Jasmine Nabor, Seth Rodriguez, and four other former Crossovers were sent to the Foton Tornadoes as a result of the identical move made by Chery Tiggo before to the Invitationals.

Balbacal promises to put together a competitive team as part of their long-term commitment to the PVL, despite the fact that they have not yet revealed their coach or players.

Balbacal underlined that any PVL opponent may be easily adapted to by the NXLED Chameleons. The determination to build a fiercely competitive team for this project shows a long-term outlook. He gave the PVL and the team’s supporters the reassurance that they can count on the team’s continued existence in the league.

After making their Reinforced Conference debut in 2022, the Akari Chargers will celebrate their first year in the PVL during the third conference.

To continue promoting Philippine volleyball, the management made the decision to create another squad.

The establishment of NXLED resulted from a clear desire to increase brand recognition. The Akari Sports Director emphasized the PVL’s ability to showcase businesses while recognizing the league’s value as a promotional platform. In addition, the addition of a second squad serves a dual function thanks to Akari’s unwavering devotion to Philippine volleyball: it creates job prospects for players and coaches while reaffirming the company’s commitment to the game.

Ricky Palou, president of the PVL, made a hint last week that the league was open to adding 12 clubs as long as they would be around for the long run.

The teams will compete in a single round-robin elimination phase to kick off the second All-Filipino Conference on October 16 or 17. The top four finishers proceed to the best-of-three semifinals, where they will face off against the winners in a second race-to-two series.

While Philsports Arena will continue to serve as the league’s home venue, the league is hoping to secure more playing dates at Smart Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena.