Rachel Ann Daquis is proving that age is just a number. Once thought to be nearing retirement, the 37-year-old volleyball icon delivered a vintage performance in the 2024-2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference, leading Farm Fresh to a thrilling five-set victory over Capital1.

Daquis turned in a well-rounded stat line of 19 points and 13 excellent digs, playing a crucial role in the Foxies’ dramatic reverse sweep. She sealed the win with a match-clinching kill, lifting her team to a franchise-best 5-6 record at the end of the preliminary round.

Player of the Week Honors for a Living Legend

For her outstanding performance, Daquis was unanimously selected as the PVL Press Corps Player of the Week, presented by Pilipinas Live, covering the period of February 18 to 22.

The former Cignal star bested a strong field of contenders, including Alyssa Valdez (Creamline), MJ Phillips (Petro Gazz), Vanie Gandler (Cignal), Isa Molde (Choco Mucho), and MVP candidate Savi Davison (PLDT). The award was decided by journalists covering the PVL, which is streamed live on the Pilipinas Live app and on www.pvl.ph.

Leadership Beyond Stats

Despite her decorated career, Daquis remains committed to leading by example, guiding the young Farm Fresh squad as they push for a breakthrough in the highly competitive PVL season.

“Kulang pa talaga kasi kung okay kami, hindi kami aabot ng fifth set eh, so una palang babanat na kami,” she shared after the win over Capital1. “Ibig sabihin, kulang pa, pero may progress. ‘Yun naman importante eh, ‘yung paangat kami one step at a time.”

She also emphasized the importance of mental toughness: “Hindi na ‘yung panalo, mas kailangan namin ma-build ‘yung character kasi ang talent na kay Farm Fresh na. Magagaling talaga sila, ang kailangan dito ‘yung lumalaban hanggang dulo.”

Farm Fresh Eyes Quarterfinal Spot

With their preliminary round campaign complete, sixth-ranked Farm Fresh now prepares for a crucial qualifying match against No. 7 Akari on Tuesday, March 4.

The winner secures a direct quarterfinals berth, while the loser will enter the play-in tournament for one last chance to make the playoffs. With Daquis leading the way, Farm Fresh aims to continue their momentum in pursuit of a deeper PVL run.