DASMARIÑAS, CAVITE – Trisha Tubu and Rizza Cruz have been with Farm Fresh since the team’s inaugural season in the Premier Volleyball League.
Through six conferences and four coaching changes, the two pioneers say they’ve never felt more liberated than they do now under the guidance of head coach Alessandro Lodi — and it’s starting to reflect in the win column at the 2025 PVL On Tour.
After narrowly missing out on an outright quarterfinal berth despite a solid 3-2 record in Pool A, the Foxies roared back with a commanding 25-20, 25-15, 25-21 sweep in Saturday’s knockout round at the Dasmariñas Arena here to finally secure their place in the quarterfinals.
Now with four wins in the preseason tournament, Tubu attributes their breakthrough performance to the freedom they feel playing under Lodi — a freedom that allows them to play without fear of making mistakes.
“Itong kay Coach Lodi naman, talagang ngayon, ramdam namin ‘yung trust niya sa’min na ‘di kami takot magkamali, kasi before nakakatakot magkamali eh,” said Tubu after the win.
“Kasi isang error mo lang, isang puntos ‘yung katumbas. Ngayon, ang sarap lang sa feeling na siya magre-recommend, pero ‘yung tiwala niya sa ‘yo, buong-buo. Tapos ‘pag mag-error ka tapos ginawa mo ‘yung part mo, papalakpakan ka pa niya, masaya siya doon.”
(C) PVL Images
Farm Fresh now shifts its focus to a high-stakes showdown against 10-time PVL champion Creamline in the knockout quarterfinals on August 9 at the Philsports Arena.
Cruz echoed Tubu’s thoughts, sharing that Lodi’s trust has allowed the team to grow in confidence — even in the face of errors — knowing that what matters most is their commitment to the system.
“Thankful kami for the trust of Coach Lodi at lagi niyang sinasabi sa amin na maglaro lang kami, as long as ginagawa namin yung tamang process at yung mga dapat gawin, walang problema. Kahit magkamali ka as long as nakikita niya na tama yung ginagawa mo, that’s okay. Doon nanggagaling yung confidence namin,” said Cruz.
Tubu also emphasized that Farm Fresh’s recent success wouldn’t be possible without the foundation laid by their previous mentors.
The Foxies were initially led by veteran coach Jerry Yee, followed by Japanese tactician Shota Sato. Benson Bocboc later stepped in as interim head coach before the team brought in their current Italian mentor.
“Sa sobrang dami naming naging coach, may kaniya-kaniya din kasi silang input sa ‘min. ‘Di sila pare-parehas ng style, pero ‘yung bawat natututunan namin sa kanila, talagang nagagamit namin lahat,” added the two-time Best Opposite Spiker.
As Farm Fresh prepares for a quarterfinal test against the league’s gold standard, they carry not just the momentum of recent wins — but also the trust, freedom, and wisdom forged across six seasons of growth.
