Farm Fresh prevailed in a manner that defined the first two matches of the PVL Invitational opener – dominant at the start, vulnerable when challenged, but composed enough to recover when it mattered most.
The Foxies battled back from a stunning third-set defeat to repel Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam, 25-14, 25-15, 26-28, 25-20, at the Araneta Coliseum late Monday night, opening their campaign in the week-long tournament with a victory, their first in three Invitational appearances.
For two sets, Farm Fresh appeared firmly in control, thumping the Vietnamese side by 11 and 10 points and looking every bit capable of wrapping up the match in straight sets.
But the Foxies suddenly lost their grip in the third.
And Ho Chi Minh, to its credit, refused to surrender.
The Vietnamese side turned the third set into a prolonged war of attrition, feeding off every Farm Fresh mistake and fighting through one pressure situation after another. The Foxies had opportunities to finish the match but could not summon the killer instinct that had characterized their overwhelming start.
Ho Chi Minh instead kept coming.
The visitors fought off multiple match points, forcing the set into extension before finally grabbing a 27-26 advantage on Thi Nhung Dao’s quick hit. Rattled by the sudden turn of events, Farm Fresh failed to respond, allowing Tran Tranh Mai Phan to deliver the decisive off-the-block hit that extended the match.
It was a remarkable escape for Ho Chi Minh and a troubling reminder for Farm Fresh that dominance is not the same as finishing.
The Vietnamese side committed no errors in the third set while capitalizing on seven free points from the Foxies, turning what appeared to be a routine sweep into a tense battle.
But if Farm Fresh lacked the killer instinct in the third, it rediscovered it immediately in the fourth.
The Foxies scored the first four points of the deciding frame and never again allowed Ho Chi Minh to dictate the tempo. They attacked with greater aggression from all angles, tightened their defense and imposed their power at the net to restore order.
Farm Fresh raced to an 8-2 lead at the first technical break and stretched the advantage to 12-5 on a Trisha Tubu strike.
This time, there would be no Vietnamese escape.
Every Ho Chi Minh attempt to rally was met with an answer from the Foxies, who finally displayed the power and precision that had been missing during the third-set scramble. Instead of allowing the visitors to gain confidence, Farm Fresh repeatedly punched back, keeping the pressure on until the Vietnamese side ran out of answers.
Ho Chi Minh mounted one last charge with a stirring six-point run, pulling the visitors to within 20-23. But Tubu soared for a kill to break the Viets’ momentum and halt their rally, before Jonah Perdido scored on a block touch after a brief exchange to seal the outcome in one hour and 39 minutes.
“I just reminded my teammates to stay relaxed and finish the game properly,” said playmaker Louie Romero, who dished out 24 excellent sets to earn Best Player of the Game honors.
Acknowledging the grueling format of the tournament, Romero added: “Our focus now is on recovery. That’s the most important thing we need to do.”
Tubu topscored with 25 points, Perdido shone with 17 points and Riri Meneses and Ces Molina added 12 points apiece.
For Ho Chi Minh, Thi Nah Phuong Nguyen put up a 13-point performance while Thi Kim Thanh Dang and Dao matched 12-point outputs, and Mong Kha Truong added nine markers.
The Foxies dominated key statistical categories, out-attacking their opponents 70-54, holding a 10-6 edge in blocks, and tallying four service aces to Vietnam's zero.
Farm Fresh had been in position to make a statement with a straight-set victory. Instead, it was forced to demonstrate another quality – its ability to recover after losing control.
That resilience proved important on a day when the first three matches of the Invitational followed a strikingly similar script.
PLDT and Creamline also raced to two-set leads over EST Cola and Nxled, respectively, only to drop the third set before eventually finishing their matches.
After its sweep bid fell short, Farm Fresh rediscovered its aggression when the pressure was at its highest.
The Foxies attacked relentlessly and refused to give the visitors the breathing room they had enjoyed in the previous set.
Still, the scare should serve as a warning.
The Foxies' early dominance showed the gap they can create when their offense is clicking. But the third-set stumble also showed that against an opponent unwilling to give up, a comfortable lead can disappear quickly when the finishing touch is missing.
Ho Chi Minh provided that reminder with its refusal to fold.
Farm Fresh, meanwhile, provided its own answer in the fourth – one built on aggression, composure and, finally, the finishing instinct it had briefly lost.
