Louie Romero remained proud of the young Farm Fresh team despite their early exit in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference.
The Foxies made their first-ever appearance in the playoffs but fell to a surging Akari side in four sets on Saturday at the Philsports Arena, thus bowing out of contention.
Despite the loss, Romero, the playmaker from Adamson, couldn’t hide her pride in her team’s efforts.
“Sobrang proud ako. Sabi ko nga sa kanila, sobrang proud ako sa mga kasama ko kasi nakita namin ‘yung effort and sacrifice talaga nagbunga,” she shared, highlighting the growth and hard work of her teammates.
Romero acknowledged the challenges the team faced but remained optimistic about their potential.
“Although kinapos talaga kami, may mga times na kinakapos talaga kami pero alam namin na ‘yung potential talaga ng bawat isa nakikita namin,” she added, emphasizing the impact of their head coach, Shota Sato, in their development.
“Thank you rin sa system ni Coach Sato kasi ang layo na talaga ng inimprove ng Farm Fresh.”
This potential was especially evident when the eighth-seeded Farm Fresh team drew first blood against the unbeaten and top-ranked Akari Chargers.
(C) PVL Images
Unfortunately, the Foxies struggled to maintain their momentum, surrendering the next three sets. However, Romero sees this experience as a stepping stone for the team’s future, eagerly looking forward to the next challenge.
“Super excited kasi All-Filipino, lahat eager bumalik sa training lalo ngayon ang dami naming natutunan sa game,” Romero said with enthusiasm.
“Madami pa kaming iti-training, ‘yung mga lapses namin, and alam namin na mas malayo pa ‘yung pwede naming puntahan.”
The 24-year-old setter is also hopeful for the return of injured teammates Jolina Dela Cruz and Lorene Toring, whom she believes will significantly bolster their lineup in upcoming competitions.
“‘Yung mga injured sa’min, like kanina si [Lorene] Toring, medyo nafu-frustrate siya so kinausap ko lang talaga siya and sabi ko aantayin ka namin,” Romero explained, showing her support and patience for her recovering teammates.
“’Yun naman talaga ‘yung goal namin, aantayin namin sila makabalik and hopefully makalaro na talaga sila.”
Romero further stressed the importance of taking the recovery process slowly for injured players, saying, “Sabi ko naman sa kanila na ‘wag nila madaliin ‘yung process kasi mahirap talaga kapag na-injury. So kung sino lang talaga ‘yung nandiyan, kung sino ‘yung available, kailangan talagang mag-work hard talaga para sa team.”
With a foundation built on hard work, potential, and a supportive environment, Romero and the Farm Fresh Foxies are ready to take on new challenges and aim for even greater success in the future.
