RODRIGUEZ, RIZAL – Farm Fresh middle blocker Lorene Toring has quietly put in the work all conference long, and head coach Alessandro Lodi made sure her efforts didn’t go unnoticed.
Originally scheduled to attend the post-match interview with Belgian reinforcement Helene Rousseaux following their win over Galeries Tower, Lodi specifically requested Toring to join him — taking the moment to give his hardworking middle blocker her well-deserved recognition.
“Our players sit as much in video meetings as anyone probably ever. And we’re going to take everyone seriously and work our tails off to be the most improved teams. To be one of the most improved teams,” said the Italian tactician.
“And we do have some of the most improved players also. This [Lorene Toring] is one of them,” Lodi added, pointing to Toring.
The 6-foot quick hitter out of Adamson University has steadily sharpened her game, and it clearly showed in Farm Fresh’s last three matches.
After averaging just 4.0 points in the Foxies’ first four games, Toring nearly doubled her production with a solid 9.0 points per outing in their crucial wins over Choco Mucho, Petro Gazz, and Galeries Tower.
And the surge has helped propel Farm Fresh to a 6-1 record, tied with ZUS Coffee for the top spot.
(C) PVL Images
For her part, the 25-year-old acknowledged that there’s still room for improvement, noting that the work doesn’t stop as she continues striving to elevate her game and become a consistent contributor for the rising Foxies.
“Well, para sa’kin, madami pa ‘kong iwo-work on,” said Toring, who finished with 11 points against the Highrisers.
“Pero getting there naman. Kasi nung pagdating kasi ni coach, as in back to zero kami lahat — serving, footworks, ganyan. Tinaasan ko lang patience ko, na makukuha ko rin ‘yung gusto ni coach,” she added.
While she’s not the flashiest player on the court, Lodi said Toring’s work ethic and consistent contributions are invaluable.
“[She’s] one of the players that works, studies, develops and might not be the most spectacular player. But if you look really play-by-play at the quality that she brings, the blocking work she does, how she improved her serve, everything she does, and she’s not the only one on our team,” Lodi explained.
The Italian tactician also believes many of Farm Fresh’s players share Toring’s qualities — a key reason why the Foxies are proving to be a tough team to beat this conference.
“There are many. But when you have those type of people, then you’re not an easy team to beat, and we’re not an easy team to beat,” he said.
“We might not win every game but we will be there to fight. So that’s the mentality we will have going into the next and every other game we play here.”
