PVL: Comebacking Van Sickle stars in Nxled’s perfect start

MANILA — Nxled star Brooke Van Sickle has been superb in her return from injury, powering the Chameleons to a 2-0 start in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series.

The Chameleons opened the conference with a stunning 25-16, 25-20, 25-18 sweep of the stacked PLDT High Speed Hitters last Tuesday before outlasting the Farm Fresh Foxies, 25-19, 25-17, 23-25, 20-25, 15-12, on Saturday.

Sidelined in the PVL On Tour and Invitational Conference due to a shoulder injury, the three-time league Conference MVP showed little rust, finishing with 11 points and eight excellent digs in just two sets against PLDT.

Van Sickle then stepped it up a notch against Farm Fresh, pouring in 20 points on 14 attacks and six kill blocks while adding 16 excellent digs and nine excellent receptions to help the Chameleons fend off the Foxies’ reverse-sweep attempt.

Her impressive showings in both games earned Van Sickle unanimous recognition as the PVL Press Corps Player of the Week for October 10 to 17.

“I think as PVL continues with its years, I do think that the competition is getting significantly harder. Teams, I mean, now there are only nine. So I think teams are more condensed and they have better players, more talent, especially with the draft coming in,” said Van Sickle.

Van Sickle edged teammate Gel Cayuna, Creamline’s Jema Galanza and Jia De Guzman, Choco Mucho’s Eya Laure and Sisi Rondina-Rosales, Farm Fresh’s Mylene Paat-Rezanova, and Capital1’s Bella Belen, who erupted for a career-high 35 points in a five-set win over Akari, for the weekly honor voted on by print and online reporters covering the league.

“It’s really good to be back. I mean, no athlete likes to be injured, right? So, during the time, I mean, it was really tough at moments, but I had the support of my coaching staff and our teammates, too, and management and ownership,” Van Sickle said.

Van Sickle and the Chameleons will look to extend their unbeaten start to three games when they take on winless Galeries Tower on Thursday, 1 p.m. at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.