JOLINA Dela Cruz's keenly awaited debut for the Farm Fresh Foxies will have to wait for at least an entire conference.
Foxies team manager Kiara Cruz confirmed the forthcoming absence of the eight-month-old club's prized signing in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference beginning February 20.
READ: Jolina Dela Cruz undergoes knee surgery after late-season ACL injury
"I’m really setting it straight — Jolina (Dela Cruz) won’t be able to play muna this conference. Of course, siyempre priority namin ‘yung health niya. Maybe timeline namin sa kanya, third conference of this year. Siguro by then, pwede na siya," Cruz said.
The third conference is slated to run from October this year to May next year in a record seven-month long tilt.
Coming together nicely
Even in Dela Cruz's absence, Cruz is pleased with how the squad's other new pieces have shown seamless cohesion with the holdovers in so short a time.
"Surprisingly, sobrang bilis nilang nag-jell. It’s so easy for them since siguro they have kanya-kanyang experience with their own pro teams and they just all knew each other’s experiences. Parang sobrang dali in that way," said Cruz.
Among such tight-knit bonds that Cruz bared is the club's pioneering member Trisha Tubu and ex-Choco Mucho ace Caitlin Viray, who are both expected to boost Farm Fresh's offense this season.
"Parang si ate Caitlin Viray to (Trisha) Tubu, sobrang nag-sshare sila ng experiences nila and techniques kumbaga. Kaya in that way, parang sobrang naging easy for them and lalo na with a Japanese system, sobrang bilis nila nag-adapt with it," she shared.
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