MANILA, Philippines – In the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Thursday, Farm Fresh overcame strong opposition in the third set, despite a strong start. The final score was 25-10, 25-15, 25-22.

In front of an energetic audience excited for the Choco Mucho-Creamline encounter later in the day, Pia Ildefonso’s crucial effort late in the game proved important in blocking Strong Group’s attempts to extend the game, bringing the Foxies to the one-hour, 21-minute victory.

With the victory, the Foxies had won three of their previous seven games, while Strong Group had lost 10 of its previous games and was going into its first season without a win.

Farm Fresh seemed ready to take care of Strong Group right away, winning the first set with a dominant 9-1 lead and continuing to dominate the second.

But in the third, Strong Group engaged Farm Fresh in a back-and-forth struggle. The Athletics failed with crucial misses in their attacking efforts, even though they led for a little period of time on two occasions, the latest at 22-21.

Ildefonso stepped up during that time, scoring three critical hits to help the Foxies finish the match with a straight-set thumping.

Leading Farm Fresh’s early attack was Trisha Tubu, who scored five points halfway through the opening set on her way to a team-high 13 points, and Caitlin Viray, who proved her mettle with 11 points in two sets.

“Thankfully, we got the win again after consecutive losses in our past few games,” Tubu stated. “This is a good one that we will draw for our last game on Tuesday, which is Choco Mucho.”

“Maybe it’s because we play well, regardless of who our opponent is, we just have to have the same mindset. We should fight until the end of the game,” Viray remarked.

Ildefonso ended with six points, Chinnie Arroyo scored seven, while Ypril Tapia and Alyssa Bertolano each scored five.

Farm Fresh’s Aprylle Tagsip finished with three points, while Rizza Cruz and Jaycel delos Reyes both contributed four points.

With eight blocks to Strong Group’s three and 49 points against their opponents, the Foxies demonstrated their prowess in attack.

With nine points, Souzan Raslan led Strong Group’s scoring, followed by Mary Joy Onofre’s seven marks, Dolly Verzosa’s six points, and Sheeka Espinosa’s six points.

Next Tuesday, Farm Fresh will play Choco Mucho, and on April 27, the Athletics will play their final game of the season against the Akari Chargers.

MJ Phillips is prepared to assist and believes in Petro Gazz’s strength.

Following a period spent abroad, MJ Phillips is back with Petro Gazz, where her true heart lies.

After competing in the Korean V-League with the Gwangju AI Peppers, where the challenges were as intense as the matches, Phillips didn’t waste any time in reestablishing her relationship with the Philippine volleyball community.

Her comeback was celebrated with a visit to Petro Gazz, the dominant team in the Premier Volleyball League, the court to which she has always belonged.

Wearing the infamous Petro Gazz polo shirt, Phillips kept a close eye on the Angels as they dominated Cignal. The results, which read 25-13, 25-18, and 25-17, demonstrated Petro Gazz’s unwavering quest for victory in the current All-Filipino Conference.

Her presence in the 20-man roster that the squad presented before the games began cemented her ability to participate in the ongoing conference.

Petro Gazz is now tied for second place with Creamline, both of whom have outstanding 7-2 records. With six teams battling it out for the four semifinal spots, the road to the top is not without its difficulties.

But Phillips seems to have faith in her team’s talents, recognizing its strength even without her. Thinking back on Petro Gazz’s incredible run so far, which included a huge win against Creamline, she said she was confident in her colleagues’ skills.

With her sights set on success on the home and international stages, Phillips is committed to perfecting her skill. She’ll be back in the KVL from April 29 to May 1 for another trial, but for now, she’s concentrating on Petro Gazz’s quest for PVL glory.