Farm Fresh pulled off a stunning upset, sweeping Akari in straight sets, 25-23, 25-21, 25-14, to claim their first win in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Saturday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Louie Romero and Trisha Tubu led the charge for the youthful Foxies, who snapped a two-game losing streak with a masterful performance against the heavily-favored Chargers.
The victory improved Farm Fresh’s record to 1-2 following tough losses to Cignal and Petro Gazz.
“Unang-una, kung makikita mo, tulong-tulong talaga lahat. So after ng Petro game, sabi ko sa kanila, hindi pupuwedeng may babagsak pa na bola sa amin kasi medyo maliit kami eh,” said head coach Benson Bocboc.
“‘Yun lang tinrabaho natin. Tapos of course, ‘yung mga ibang puwede pumalo at umiscore, bigyan din natin ng chance. Nag-deliver naman kaya ang ganda ng kinalabasan. Kung titignan natin, distributed ‘yung score ng mga players. Hopefully, ito na ‘yung start,” he added.
(C) PVL Images
After two tightly-contested sets, the Foxies dominated the third, building an 11-point cushion, 20-9, behind a powerful attack from Tubu.
Akari struggled to regain their footing as Farm Fresh sealed the match in just one hour and 25 minutes.
Tubu delivered a sensational performance, firing 21 points on an efficient 18-of-28 attacking clip while adding three blocks.
Rizza Cruz chipped in eight points, while Caitlyn Viray contributed seven markers. Alyssa Bertolano showcased her versatility with six points, 11 excellent digs, and seven excellent receptions.
Romero, who recently recovered from a neck injury, orchestrated the offense with 19 excellent sets and added five points.
Farm Fresh will next face the surging ZUS Coffee on Thursday at 4:00 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
(C) PVL Images
For Akari, the loss marked their second consecutive defeat, dropping them to a 2-2 record after a strong 2-0 start to the tournament.
Ivy Lacsina was the lone bright spot for the Chargers, tallying 13 points, all from attacks. Eli Soyud contributed eight points, but the team’s 22 errors proved costly.
The Chargers will look to bounce back against Petro Gazz on Thursday.
