FARM Fresh’s pre-conference fine-tuning didn’t translate to a fiery start in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference following a pair of opening losses in early acid tests against champion sides Chery Tiggo and Creamline.
But they’ve finally hit the ground running by taking down Galeries Tower in an unforgettable five-set clash which saw the joint-second longest set in PVL history unfold — a 37-35 Highrisers win in a 45-minute second-set marathon.
READ: Farm Fresh-Galeries' 37-35 set was a marathon - but it wasn't PVL's most grueling
Still without an on-the-mend Jolina dela Cruz and the PVL Draft’s 16th overall pick in Pierre Abellana, the Foxies made a few major tweaks to its roster and coaching staff ahead of their franchise’s first-ever import-laden stint.
Two notable Foxies signings ahead of the Reinforced Conference are 25-year-old Colombian guest import Yeny Murillo and newly-promoted Japanese head coach Shota Sato.
Fierce Latina firepower
While it didn't translate to wins early on, Murllo was steady as she hit a three-game average of 21.7 points, becoming the league’s seventh-top scorer midway through Week 3 of pool play.
For the Latina spiker, her openness to a new playing environment and the Foxies’ undeniable fighting spirit have kept them afloat in the midst of a rocky takeoff this conference.
“When I came here, I came with an open mind to learn as much as I could. When we started, I had a lot of hope for my team and I wanted to see how we’ll work together against every team," she said.
“It was hard to lose the first two games, the teams we played were really good teams and I felt that we did a good job even though we couldn’t reach their level. And now, we work until we got it, finally our first win,” she added.
“I have been in a lot of teams before and I have seen that after like one or two losses, the teams tend to like go down, you know? But instead, this team keeps improving and keeps showing me that they really want to become better players.”
Sato coming into his own
Once a champion deputy coach in the PVL with Kurashiki Ablaze last year, Sato went from joining then-Farm Fresh mentor Jerry Yee’s staff to taking over the reins himself.
And it was a hasty transition which Sato embraced with open arms, but not without a pressure-packed start.
Through the help of the rest of the team, who’s even helping him overcome language barriers, a huge chunk of the coaching pressure has been taken off his shoulders.
“It was a very hard decision. There’s a lot of pressure on my end to carry the load as head coach for this Farm Fresh team. My players are also helping me learn Tagalog and English so it was easy to adjust,” Sato said in Nihonggo.
“I already saw good things and bad things from the team so we’ll adjust accordingly in training to get the win in our next game.”
Farm Fresh’s new ‘darling’
In her second conference donning Farm Fresh orange, Caitlin Viray has been put to the test upon taking on the outside hitter position — a step away from her natural role as an opposite.
The former Choco Mucho winger averaged 14.3 points in her first three games this conference, topped by a stellar five-block outing in their first victory over Galeries Tower.
But through the guidance of Sato & Co., Viray’s transition to a new offensive position with a fair share of increased defensive demands has been moving along quite well.
“Marami pa ring adjustments lalo na bago position ko, and mas mahirap siya dahil mas marami kang kailangan gawin. Though mahirap, dumadali siya kasi very tutok sa amin ‘yung coaches namin,” she stated.
“Happy na napanindigan namin (‘yung changes sa team) but I know na marami pang kailangan trabahuin, so balik ulit sa trabaho.”
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