Tubu, Foxies sustain charge, blast Chameleons

Energized by a stirring come-from-behind five-set victory over Galeries Tower last Tuesday, Farm Fresh elevated its game, shutting down Nxled, 25-16, 25-15, 25-17, to bolster their bid for a top 3 finish in Pool A of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Saturday.

Trisha Tubu, alongside Caitlyn Viray, backed import Yeny Murillo with 18 points apiece against the Hightowers.

Tubu once again shone against the Chameleons, delivering a 16-hit performance through powerful attacks, achieving an impressive 57 percent spiking efficiency.

Her game-long exploits not only eased the load on Murillo but also helped the team secure the straight-set victory, leveling their record at 2-2 following losses to the Chery Tiggo Crossovers and the Creamline Cool Smashers.

“That win in our last game was a huge boost because we carried the energy into this match and never let it drop,” said Tubu in Pilipino.

She also noted the team’s steady improvement in teamwork and camaraderie.

“It feels so good to see the teamwork building up. We help each other, even those on the bench contribute in one way or another,” she added.

It was indeed a collective effort as the Foxies managed to score a sweep despite drawing just 22 points from Murillo, who had pumped in 29 points against the Hightowers.

Viray finished with seven markers while Chinnie Arroyo and Aprylle Tagsip chipped in six and five points, respectively.

The Foxies were dominant, converting 52 spikes against the Chameleons’ 29 on their way to the 79-minute romp.

Chiara Permentilla topscored for Nxled with 12 points, but reinforcement Meegan Hart struggled with seven points, while the other locals failed to step up. Lycha Ebon finished with five markers, and Anne Esguerra, Jho Maraguinot, and Trisha Genesis each wound up with three points.

The top three teams from each pool will advance to the second-round crossover with the bottom three teams from Pool B.

The top 8 will then move on to the knockout quarterfinals, with the semifinals also being a sudden death stage.

PLDT sets the pace in Pool A with a 3-0 card followed by Creamline and Chery Tiggo with identical 2-1 slates. Nxled slipped to 1-3 while Galeries Tower has a 0-3 mark.

Pool B is led by Cignal and Akari with similar 3-0 records followed by Capital1 (2-2), Choco Mucho and Petro Gazz, both with 1-3 slates, and ZUS Coffee (0-4).

Louie Romero orchestrated the Foxies’ offensive game with 13 excellent sets, while Janel Delerio anchored their defense with nine excellent digs, with Murillo adding four of her own. Delerio also produced four excellent receptions.

Games Tuesday

• 1 p.m. – Akari vs. Cignal
• 3 p.m. – Capital1 vs. ZUS Coffee
• 5 p.m. – Choco Mucho vs. Petro Gazz ​