ILAGAN, Isabela – Farm Fresh thrived under pressure and in front of an electrifying, sold-out crowd at the Capital Arena in Isabela, stunning the favored yet short-handed Choco Mucho side in a pulsating PVL On Tour showdown Saturday night.
In a gripping test of will and composure, the Foxies proved they had plenty of both – recovering from a blown four-point cushion late in the fourth set, then rallying from a point down to complete a gutsy 23-25, 25-19, 25-23, 26-24 triumph in Pool A.
The crowd of 7,648 roared with every point in a two-hour, nine-minute thriller that turned the provincial leg into a true volleyball spectacle.
Powered by lefties Trisha Tubu and Caitlin Viray, and a crafty showing from Jolina Dela Cruz, Farm Fresh delivered an inspiring performance, bouncing back from a straight-set loss to PLDT last July 1 and joining Petro Gazz at second place in the standings behind unbeaten Nxled (2-0).
Tubu was a force all match long, finishing with 22 points, including three blocks, the last of which sealed the win as she stuffed Mean Mendrez in a nail-biting final rally. Her performance earned her the Best Player of the Game citation, to the delight of the roaring Isabela crowd.
“Sobrang halaga ang panalong ito sa amin, kasi bago ang sistema namin at sobrang thankful kami na na-a-apply na namin ito,” said Tubu, who also tallied nine excellent digs.
Under fiery Italian coach Alessandro Lodi, the Foxies showed remarkable composure after dropping the opening set, executing their plays with precision while feeding off Lodi’s animated, high-energy sideline presence.
“Unti-unti nang nabubuo ang team at nagiging solid dahil naniniwala kami sa sistema ni coach at tiwala din sa isa’t isa,” added Tubu. “Masarap sa feeling na kasama namin si coach at ‘yung sistema na ibinibigay niya.”
Dela Cruz backed up her court smarts with 16 points and eight excellent receptions, while Viray chipped in 10 crucial markers, including the hit that brought Farm Fresh to match point. She also had 12 excellent receptions in a rock-solid all-around effort.
Choco Mucho, playing without stars Sisi Rondina and Dindin Manabat, among others, fell to 1-2 following a win over Galeries Tower and a four-set loss to Nxled.
Despite being undermanned, the Flying Titans showed flashes of their trademark grit, particularly in the fourth set when they erased an 18-22 deficit behind a scoring blitz from Des Cheng. Her three-point run, capped by rookie Jen Villegas’ block on Viray, pushed Choco Mucho ahead, 23-22.
But Farm Fresh refused to falter. Rizza Cruz answered with a running attack, Viray fired a gutsy hit through two defenders, and though Villegas managed to tie it at 24, the Foxies regrouped.
Lorene Toring added eight points, while Cruz and setter Alohi Robins-Hardy chipped in five and four, respectively. Robins-Hardy also outshone her counterpart, Deanna Wong, posting 22 excellent sets against Wong’s 15.
Choco Mucho’s Isa Molde led her team with 13 points but exited early in the fourth with a slight foot injury. Cheng contributed 10, Villegas had eight, and Tubino and Nunag combined for 13 points.
Despite committing 39 service errors, the Foxies made up for it with aggressive net play and key stops, capitalizing on 33 points off Choco Mucho’s own miscues in a high-octane, high-stakes battle that thrilled fans to the final rally.
Earlier, the Flying Titans had to weather multiple surges from the ever-resilient Foxies in the opening set, pulling away four times only to see their lead erased just as quickly. But with the crowd's deafening cheers pushing every play to its limits, Nunag eventually came through with a thunderous quick attack that deflected off the outstretched arms of Robins-Hardy and landed out of bounds to clinch the set for the Flying Titans.
Despite a jittery start from both sides – combining for 19 errors in the first set alone, including 10 from Farm Fresh – the players settled in, feeding off the crowd’s unrelenting energy.
But the Foxies came out blazing in the second set, with Dela Cruz teaming up almost seamlessly with Tubu and Cruz to spark a blistering 5-0 run that flipped an 8-11 deficit into a two-point advantage.
Refusing to let up, Farm Fresh seized full control of the set and never looked back. The momentum further swelled with the entry of veteran Rachel Anne Daquis, who immediately made her presence felt with a blast that extended their lead to 17-14.
Riding on their rhythm and the crowd's growing excitement, the Foxies wrapped up the frame with a commanding 8-5 closing run – highlighted by a service ace from Cruz and punctuated by a thunderous kill from Tubu.
The six-point romp not only leveled the match but also set the stage for a high-stakes, grudge match in Set 3, where the psychological edge would be up for grabs.
The pivotal third set lived up to its billing, with both teams locked in a tense tug-of-war despite a flurry of service errors. The Foxies, despite struggling from the service line and giving away multiple free points, stayed right in the thick of things.
The Flying Titans, for their part, also grappled with miscues – flawed serves and misfires – resulting in several deadlocks that kept the fans on the edge of their seats.
With the score tied at 21, it was Farm Fresh that found another gear. The Foxies strung together a clutch three-point surge, capitalizing on back-to-back Choco Mucho errors, the last – a four-touch violation – that handed them set point and a crucial 2-1 set lead.
But the Flying Titans refused to go away. Molde powered in a kill, and Villegas followed it up with an ace, trimming the gap to one. Still, the Foxies stayed composed, regrouping during a spirited timeout with Lodi sparking a strong response from his squad.
Out of the huddle, Robins-Hardy set up Tubu for the finishing blow. And as she has done time and again, Tubu delivered – firing a searing hit that glanced off the fingertips of a Choco Mucho defender and soared beyond reach, sealing the set and putting the Foxies ahead.
