The Farm Fresh Foxies. PVL Media Bureau
SANTA ROSA, Laguna (UPDATED) — Farm Fresh kept its Top 4 hopes alive by taking down an undermanned Creamline side, 25-16, 25-22, 18-25, 25-23, in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex here.
The Foxies remained in contention for a qualifying round spot, improving to a 4-4 win-loss card and tying Nxled in the standings.
They just didn't endure Creamline's toughness and championship poise, but also the Cool Smashers' loud fanbase who made their presence felt throughout the two-hour battle.
"Masaya, masaya kalaban si Creamline. Kasi alam namin na top team talaga siya. So, kami sa mga teams tulad ng Creamline hindi namin iniisip na dehado kami dito. Basta mag-focus kami sa sistema at sa anong mayroon sa amin," said Royse Tubino, who saved the night for Farm Fresh, making up for crucial errors that gave Creamline a lifeline late in the game.
The Cool Smashers pulled off a lore-accurate comeback by not giving up despite going down 16-20 in Set 4, highlighted by a blazing Jia de Guzman ace that tied the game at 20-apiece.
Later on, Tubino committed back-to-back attacking errors on the net that granted the other side a 23-22 edge.
READ: PVL: Akari boosts bid for qualifying round berth by surviving Galeries
Fortunately for the Foxies, Set 3 hero for Creamline Dij Rodriguez committed a costly service error that knotted the match—and Tubino, fondly called as "Sarge" by volleyball fans, pulled off a gutsy personal two-point run, including the game-clinching off-the-block hit the secured the match for the Foxies.
"Always naman sinasabi ni coach [Koji Tsuzurabara] na paluin nang paluin yung bola, andoon naman yung mga kasama mong ko-cover sayo. Yung dalawang errors ko, hindi ko na lang inisip, paluin nang paluin ko lang kasi nandun naman yung mga kasama ko na magsu-support sa 'kin," said Tubino, who finished with 18 points, 13 receptions, and eight digs.
Leading the Farm Fresh scoring was the hard-hitting Trisha Tubu, who had 22 points, while Alohi Robins-Hardy kept the attacks going with 27 excellent sets.
Meanwhile, playing without head coach Sherwin Meneses and key cogs Bernadeth Pons and Jema Galanza, the Cool Smashers dropped to 5-3 after the defeat, and now have to face the current second-place team and in-form Cignal next, hoping to correct their ways back into an outright spot in the qualifying phase.
Tots Carlos stepped up, although for naught, with 18 points, while Alyssa Valdez, admittedly not at her hundred percent, still delivered 14 points and 11 digs.
RELATED VIDEO: