Farm Fresh faces crossroads after securing first-ever PVL semifinal berth
- Rodolfo Dacleson II
- Apr 9
- 3 min read
Farm Fresh on Tuesday, April 7, earned its first-ever trip to the semifinals of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) since joining the Philippines' top-tier women’s competition in 2023.
The Foxies stunned Nxled Chameleons in straight sets, 25-17, 25-20, 25-19, during the win-or-go-home play-in round at the Filoil Centre in San Juan for their deepest run in the PVL so far.
Decorated opposite spiker Trisha Tubu was at a loss for words after her team’s once far-fetched dream turned into reality.
“Pinapangarap ko lang ‘to dati as in and hindi ko alam kung kailan namin makukuha. Pero ito, through process and help na lang din ng management and bawat isa talagang trinabaho namin itong semis berth na ‘to,” said Tubu, who finished with 12 points, in a postgame interview.
“Sobrang fulfilling, as in hindi ko ma-explain,” she added, as reported by the Tiebreaker Times.
Tubu was part of Farm Fresh’s original squad after forgoing her final playing year with Adamson University to turn pro. She has seen it all — the team’s early growing pains and gradual progress — over a short but eventful history. And finally, their shining moment came, and they are not done yet.
The Foxies’ rise, however, has been anything but straightforward, with several coaches taking turns leading the squad, which is backed by Strong Group Athletics.
The club bowed out in the preliminary round in all three conferences under Jerry Yee from 2023 to 2024.
By July 2024, the Foxies announced that Japanese coach Shota Sato would oversee the Reinforced Conference. He was part of Yee’s coaching staff prior to being tapped as the team’s chief tactician.
Sato led them to their first-ever playoff appearance, only to suffer a quarterfinal exit at the hands of eventual runner-up Akari. They later replaced PLDT in the Invitational Conference and were eliminated from the medal race without a single win.
Farm Fresh and Sato ultimately parted ways, with no detailed explanation provided. Benson Bocboc briefly served as interim coach ahead of the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference before Italian mentor Alessandro Lodi officially took over in May 2025.
While they failed to reach the All-Filipino Conference playoffs, the Lodi-mentored squad took the league by surprise by topping the preliminaries of the Reinforced Conference — a first in franchise history. But just as things began to take shape, the Foxies received a reality check. For the second straight season, Akari eliminated them in the quarterfinals.
Last December, Lodi left the team after seven months in charge.
Another Japanese mentor, yet a familiar face among Filipino volleyball fans, succeeded him. Koji Tsuzurabara brings championship experience, having led the Petro Gazz Angels to their first Premier Volleyball League All‑Filipino Conference crown before moving to Farm Fresh.
Five coaches in just three years is less a sign of evolution and more a pattern of constant reset — one that often disrupts the very continuity teams need to win. In a sport built on timing, trust, and system familiarity, stability is not a luxury but a foundation.
While historic, Farm Fresh's semifinal breakthrough doesn't erase the questions surrounding its direction. If anything, it highlights how far the team has come despite the absence of sustained continuity.
There is no shortcut to winning titles. Cultivating a championship culture takes time, and often, defeats come along the way. Even the winningest PVL club Creamline had its share of setbacks but remained a consistent contender through years of stability since joining the league in 2017.
Decisions ultimately rest in the hands of management. But as Farm Fresh steps into uncharted territory, its semifinal run presents both an opportunity and a crossroads. It could either prove that progress is possible or serve as a reminder that even breakthroughs are fleeting without continuity.
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