CEBU City – Farm Fresh rolled to its third consecutive victory in a show of rising form and fierce determination, dispatching a struggling Galeries Tower squad with clinical precision, 27-25, 25-17, 25-18, in the PVL On Tour at the USJ-Recoletos Coliseum in Cebu late Saturday.
While the opening set came down-to-the-wire – decided only after a tense and hotly contested block touch challenge – it was all Foxies from that point on. Recovering quickly from their early inconsistencies, Farm Fresh tightened its grip in the succeeding frames, showcasing superior firepower and cohesion to dismantle the Highrisers in just one hour and 33 minutes.
The win not only underscored the Foxies’ growing confidence but also highlighted their hunger to secure a direct passage to the quarterfinal in the pre-season tournament organized by Sports Vision. After an early stumble against powerhouse PLDT, Farm Fresh has rebounded with renewed focus, stringing together three straight victories to stay firmly in the hunt for an outright spot in the next round.
Their resolve will be put to the ultimate test tonight (Sunday) when they face fellow contender the Nxled Chameleons at 6:30 p.m. in a virtual playoff for the second and last automatic quarterfinal berth in Pool A. With both teams locked at 3-1 records and trailing unbeaten PLDT (4-0), the showdown promises to be a fierce battle for supremacy and seeding.
Meanwhile, Galeries Tower, still winless in four matches, will try to salvage pride when it takes on the streaking PLDT at 4 p.m. in a top-versus-bottom showdown.
“We had a brief lapse, but that’s what we’ve been working on – how to keep the game fast and fluid,” said Trisha Tubu in Filipino, who earned Best Player of the Game honors after delivering 14 points, 13 of them off attacks. “We’re really grateful for the crowd’s energy and support.”
Jolina dela Cruz also shone with 11 points, while Lorene Toring chipped in nine. Rizza Cruz and Rachel Ann Daquis added seven markers apiece for the Foxies, who edged the Highrisers in attacks, 38-34, and dominated the net with an 8-4 blocking advantage.
Farm Fresh also capitalized on Galeries Tower’s miscues, scoring 22 points off unforced errors while yielding just 14 of their own.
France Ronquillo matched Tubu’s team-high output, and rookie Jean Asis contributed 11 points. But the rest of the Highrisers continued to struggle offensively, especially during the Foxies’ decisive run. Roselle Baliton managed eight points, Jewel Encarnacion tallied seven, while Ysa Jimenez was limited to just three markers.
Farm Fresh snatched a thrilling opening set by the slimmest of margins, surviving a tense video review to take a 1-0 lead over Galeries Tower. The Foxies clinched the set after a hotly contested block touch challenge involving Dim Pacres, whose attack was believed to have grazed the pinky of Toring. But after an exhaustive review, officials saw no touch, awarding the decisive point – and the set – to Farm Fresh.
Daquis, who also finished with seven excellent digs. showcased her poise in crunch time, drilling a clutch baseline hit to push the Foxies to set point at 26-25. This came after the Highrisers squandered two set-point opportunities, the last off a Baliton quick attack.
Setter Alohi Robins-Hardy also played a key role, catching the defense off guard with a smart second-ball push that set up Daquis’ go-ahead hit. Moments later, the dramatic challenge capped off a fiercely fought set that was tight from start to finish.
Robins-Hardy finished with 14 excellent sets and four points, outplaying counterpart Ivy Perez, who had just six excellent sets.
The Foxies weathered a rather shaky performance in the second set and thwarted a spirited comeback attempt by the Highrisers, pulling away from a slim 14-12 lead with a decisive 5-1 run that widened the gap to 19-13.
From there, they seized full control, capitalizing on Galeries Tower’s crucial attack error and service miscue to extend their lead and coast to a commanding eight-point set victory. Their composed finish under pressure highlighted their poise and ability to regain momentum when it mattered most.
It was more of the same in the third set as the Foxies pulled away from a slim three-point cushion to a more comfortable 18-13 lead. But Asis sparked a brief Galeries Tower rally, firing back-to-back aces past Daquis to close the gap to 16-18.
That, however, was as close as the Highrisers would get.
Coming out of a timeout with renewed composure, the Foxies capitalized on an Asis miscue – an off-speed push that failed to clear the net – ending a tense exchange of digs and saves and snapping a brief scoring drought.
The error also marked the start of a costly series of miscues for Galeries Tower.
Jimenez was called for a center line fault, Ronquillo hit a flawed assault, and a rotation error only added to the Highrisers’ woes, allowing Farm Fresh to surge ahead, 22-16. Two more errors sealed their fate – Audrey Paran misfired after another extended rally, and Ronquillo, serving after a Daquis miscue, sent her serve long to wrap up the match.
--//
