Still on the path to regaining her peak form, Rachel Anne Daquis dug deep to inspire Farm Fresh in their final match of the preliminary round, determined to carry winning momentum into the qualifying phase of the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
And she delivered in vintage fashion.
The 37-year-old outside hitter erupted for 19 points as the Foxies staged a stunning comeback from two sets down to outlast the Capital1 Solar Spikers in a five-set thriller, 18-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-19, 15-12, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Daquis spearheaded Farm Fresh’s offense with 17 spikes and two blocks while also anchoring the team’s floor defense, tallying 13 excellent digs and six receptions.
“Sabi ko nga kanina, struggling pa ako eh kasi siyempre kahit nakabalik ako, kahit nagrerehab and nagbubuhat ako, ‘yung control sa bola pa din ‘yun pa ‘yung missing sa akin,” admitted the Far Eastern University legend.
Despite still fine-tuning her game, Daquis found strength in her teammates, who never wavered in their trust and belief in her leadership.
“Pero hindi naman ako sinukuan ng team ko, talagang nilaban nila ako. Best game kasi talagang kailangan namin manalo ngayon pero mas may ilalabas pa tayo basta huwag tayo mag-stop matuto, mag-adjust, and ‘yun siguro mag-focus pa ako sa anong matutulong ko,” she added.
The victory allowed Farm Fresh to finish the preliminaries with a 5-6 record, securing sixth place with 16 points. But despite snapping a two-game skid, Daquis was quick to remind her squad that the real battle was just beginning.
“Good start ito going towards the [qualifying], so ini-aim talaga namin tumaas ‘yung rank namin. So nakuha na namin ito pero we will never stop kasi para sa amin, hindi pa talaga kami solid pero papunta pa lang,” said Daquis, who took a break from volleyball for over a year before returning to the pro scene.
With the Foxies rallying from two sets down, Daquis acknowledged that while the win was a confidence booster, there was still much to improve on.
“Kulang pa talaga kasi kung okay kami, hindi kami aabot ng fifth set eh. So una pa lang babanat na kami. So, ibig sabihin, kulang pa pero may progress. ‘Yun naman importante eh, ‘yung paangat kami one step at a time. Happy kami sa result nito kahit fifth set pero dito nasubukan ‘yung character eh.”
Daquis had plenty of offensive support, with Caitlin Viray scoring 14 points, Rizza Cruz adding 13, and Alyssa Bertolano and Pierre Abellana chipping in 10 apiece. Lorene Toring also made a significant impact, finishing with nine points on five spikes, three blocks, and a service ace in just three sets of action.
The Foxies know they still have a long road ahead, but for Daquis, their latest victory is proof that they are trending in the right direction.
“Small win ito sa amin na maganda ‘yung resulta, maganda ‘yung galaw so para sa amin okay ‘yun. Patuloy namin aaralin, patuloy namin isosolid itong team na ito kasi mahaba-haba pa ‘yung laban,” she said.
And with Daquis at the helm, expect Farm Fresh to battle even harder as they continue their climb in the PVL.
