Farm Fresh made quick work of Galeries Tower with a straight-sets triumph, 27-25, 25-17, 25-18, in the PVL On Tour Saturday, July 26, at the USJ-Recoletos Coliseum, marking its third consecutive win and setting up a crucial matchup against Nxled for a direct quarterfinal berth in Pool A.

After narrowly escaping a tense opening set via a successful block touch challenge, the Foxies found their rhythm and tightened their grip in the next two frames, overpowering the winless Highrisers in just one hour and 33 minutes.

Foxies on the rise

The win improved Farm Fresh to 3-1, tying them with Nxled heading into Sunday night’s clash at 6:30 p.m., a match that now serves as a virtual playoff for the second and final automatic quarterfinal slot in the group. PLDT has already clinched the first berth at 4-0.

“We had some lapses early, but that’s part of our growth. We’re learning to play faster, more fluid volleyball,” said Trisha Tubu, who was named Best Player of the Game after tallying 14 points, 13 off attacks.

Jolina Dela Cruz chipped in 11 markers, while Lorene Toring added nine, and veterans Rizza Cruz and Rachel Anne Daquis had seven apiece, highlighting Farm Fresh’s balanced offense. The Foxies edged Galeries Tower in attacks, 38-34, and were more efficient at the net with an 8-4 blocking advantage.

Clutch call seals Set 1

The most gripping moment of the match came late in the opening frame. Tied at 25-all, Daquis nailed a sharp baseline hit to give Farm Fresh set point, and moments later, Galeries Tower’s Dim Pacres sent in an attack that was believed to have brushed the pinky of Toring. After a lengthy video review, officials found no touch, handing the Foxies the critical first-set win, 27-25.

Setter Alohi Robins-Hardy was instrumental, finishing with 14 excellent sets and four points, including a sneaky second-ball push that led to Daquis’ go-ahead strike. In contrast, Galeries Tower’s Ivy Perez struggled with only six excellent sets.

Second and third sets: composed, clinical

In the second set, the Highrisers briefly kept it close at 14-12, but Farm Fresh pulled away with a 5-1 spurt that included key blocks and timely hits, extending the lead to 19-13. They capitalized on Galeries’ mounting errors, closing the set at 25-17.

The third set followed a similar script. The Highrisers threatened after Jean Asis fired back-to-back aces to cut the deficit to 16-18, but her momentum was halted by a costly attack error. From there, a flurry of miscues from Galeries – including a center line fault, rotation error, and two long balls – doomed any comeback hopes.

Ronquillo leads Galeries Tower in vain

France Ronquillo paced the Highrisers with 14 points, while Asis chipped in 11. Roselle Baliton and Jewel Encarnacion added 8 and 7 points, respectively, but other key contributors like Ysa Jimenez struggled, with only 3 markers.

The Highrisers remained winless at 0-4 and will next face unbeaten PLDT (4-0) on Sunday at 4 p.m. in a top-versus-bottom encounter.