Farm Fresh took a direct route to the next phase — with no desire to leave its postseason fate to anyone else.

The Foxies secured passage to Pool D after putting away Choco Mucho in four sets, 25-18, 25-13, 18-25, 26-24, Friday, October 31, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre. The win completed a strong 4-1 showing in Pool A and kept the team in firm semifinal contention in the PVL Reinforced Conference backed by ICTSI, Milcu, Mikasa, and Fabriano.

Helene Rousseaux again assumed command of the attack, unleashing 27 points on 25 kills and two blocks while contributing six digs. With Farm Fresh pushed to a tense closing frame, the Belgian standout delivered when control mattered most.

Farm Fresh finishes with nerve, poise, and timely firepower

A late 21-23 deficit in the fourth set did not rattle the Foxies. Rousseaux hammered two straight kills to erase the gap, Rizza Cruz followed with an ace for match point, and despite a brief delay via service error, the opportunity held. Choco Mucho returned the favor from the service line before Rousseaux ended the contest with a sharp cross-court finish.

Head coach Alessandro Lodi praised the adaptability shown in critical moments, noting the mix of force and grit that surfaced when the match tightened.

Rousseaux found consistent support from Trisha Tubu, who added 17 points, while Ces Molina steadied the floor with 11 points along with 12 digs and eight receptions. Setter Alohi Robins-Hardy tallied 20 excellent sets and five points, and libero-turned-defensive-specialist Alyssa Bertolano covered space with 10 receptions.

Choco Mucho, now in a tie with Capital1 in the standings, will meet the Solar Spikers in a high-stakes duel for the Pool A third seed on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena. Kat Tolentino paced the Flying Titans with 12 points, followed by 11 from Royse Tubino and 10 from Maddi Madayag.