Foxies fend off Cool Smashers to stay in qualifying round contention

Farm Fresh showcased its grit and growing cohesion, turning back a shorthanded but determined Creamline side in four sets, 25-16, 25-22, 18-25, 25-23, to strengthen its qualifying round bid in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.

The Foxies leaned on their offensive firepower but were pushed to the limit by a Cool Smashers squad that refused to back down despite the absence of head coach Sherwin Meneses, along with key hitters Bernadeth Pons and Jema Galanza. The victory lifted Farm Fresh to a 4-4 slate, keeping its playoff hopes alive.

With Meneses sidelined due to hospitalization, Karlo Santos stepped in to steer Creamline from the bench.

Trisha Tubu led the charge for Farm Fresh with 22 points anchored on 16 attacks, five kill blocks, and an ace, while Royse Tubino delivered a stellar all-around effort of 18 points, built on 14 attacks, three aces, and a block, on top of 13 excellent receptions and eight digs.

“Siguro po ’yun nga, nagsisimula po ’yun sa sarili namin, kasi lagi sinasabi ni coach na unang-una, hindi niyo kalaban ’yung kabilang court. Kalaban niyo palagi yung sarili niyo,” Tubu said.

“Once nanalo kayo sa sarili niyo, mananalo kayo sa kalaban niyo. So siguro po yun yung nangyayari sa past few games namin, unti-unti po nananalo po kami sa sarili namin, sa mindset. Yung chemistry po nabubuo konti-konti. Ayun po,” she added.

Riri Meneses anchored the net defense with 10 points, highlighted by six kill blocks, while Ces Molina chipped in eight points and 13 excellent receptions. Setter Alohi Robins-Hardy orchestrated the offense with 27 excellent sets and three points, while Bia General and Maicah Larroza combined efforts at libero, with General tallying eight excellent digs.

After dropping the third set and surrendering momentum, Farm Fresh found itself in a tense fourth-frame battle as Creamline mounted a furious comeback.

The Cool Smashers, behind Jeanette Panaga, Tots Carlos, and Jia De Guzman, unleashed a pivotal 7-2 run to erase a 16-20 deficit and seize a 23-22 advantage, capitalizing on consecutive errors from Tubino.

However, a costly service error by Dij Rodriguez halted Creamline’s surge, paving the way for Tubino’s redemption as she delivered back-to-back points to seal the hard-earned win for the Foxies.

Farm Fresh next faces a red-hot Akari squad on Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Filoil Centre.

Meanwhile, Creamline absorbed its second straight defeat, dropping to 5-3 and falling into a tie for third to fourth place.

Tots Carlos paced the Cool Smashers with 18 points and 13 excellent receptions, while team captain Alyssa Valdez stepped up with 14 points and 11 digs in the absence of Pons and Galanza. Panaga added 10 points, Rodriguez had eight points and seven digs, and De Guzman dished out 27 excellent sets with four points.

Creamline will aim to regroup when it takes on Cignal on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., looking to get its campaign back on track.