The NXLed Chameleons will feature a new coach in Ettore Guidetti, a veteran mentor who brings 23 years’ worth of experience to the team.
Italian coach Ettore Guidetti will begin his Philippine volleyball journey when he debuts with the young NXLed Chameleons in the 2024-2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
Guidetti has been with the Chameleons since September 2 and has lauded his players’ “super high” commitment to adjusting to the system he hopes to implement within the team. He takes over from Chinese coach Chen Gang who led the team to a 1-7 record in the 2024 Reinforced Conference.
“They started from the very beginning to be open-minded to my system, and it looks like I am kind of mixing in the methodology of the former coach [Chen Gang] that was before me. So I kind of mix Japanese, Brazilian, and Chinese [coaching] systems,” explained Guidetti.
“That is part of who we are as Italians. We love to collect the best methodologies and maybe try to use a little bit of the Italian style in our work.”
Guidetti brings 23 years of coaching experience to NXLed, headlined by his stint as Sweden’s women’s and youth national team coach between 2019 to 2022. The mentor is also coming off a one-year stay with Volley Soverato, which participates in Italy’s Serie A2.
Guidetti began his work last September by refining NXLed’s services and ball movement, along with adapting to out-of-system situations based on his initial research.
“We tried to focus on the out-of-system situations…That looked like the one which was affecting them a little bit during games. I think the girls, when in system, they play good volleyball…and so out-of-system, we are trying to improve,” he explained.
On the other hand, Guidetti sees the bright potential in defense from this group.
“Right now we are focusing on our block situation. This team is a defensive one so I really think that I don’t have to spend too much time on this. They love to dig, so normally it’s difficult to strike at the first attempt against my team. So right now, we are trying to raise the bar about other skills,” he said.
Based on their preseason matches, Guidetti has been left impressed by wing spikers Lycha Ebon and Chiara Permentilla, who were among the Chameleons’ top local scorers during the Reinforced Conference.
Middle blockers Anne Esguera and Krich Macaslang have also been noticed by the Italian coach for their steady growth under his watch.
“And the two other players [Ebon and Permentilla], they are performing good. So I see a development, a general development in each of them. Also, the level of passing itself is rising up,” he said.
Guidetti, though, reiterated the pressing need to improve their handling of out-of-system situations.
“We don’t have a bunch of out-of-system situations, but at the same time, those situations are the ones that we have to take care of. Because we had some sets that we lost by about two points. And right now, with a new system, and with a rally point system [in PVL], there are no little things in volleyball,” he said.
‘Lots of humility’
Guidetti and the NXLed Chameleons will begin their All-Filipino journey on November 12 against the PLDT High Speed Hitters, with the immediate goal of improving from their 1-7 record in the last Reinforced Conference.
But Guidetti knows the path won’t be easy, as rival teams have been equally hard at work in the offseason. Some squads have also beefed up their rosters through free agent signings, the return of their Alas Pilipinas players, or even both.
“So realistically, we have to face the championship in a brave and courageous way, and at the same time acknowledging that we are not one of the super best teams of the league. So we have to approach every single game with a lot of humility, and a lot of willingness to be better and better every single match,” he said.
It remains to be seen how NXLed will fare in Guidetti’s first season. But one thing’s for sure: their hunger to prove their place among the league’s best teams and players.
“The good thing and the bad thing is that they had a difficult season last season. So, they started to be, willing to be better, and at the same time, open-minded. So, my work was pretty simple in the beginning. Right now, it is the difficult part. We have to prove that my work is working [for the season],” said Guidetti.
Banner image courtesy of the Premier Volleyball League.