When the moment demanded absolute composure, Trisha Tubu rose as an unstoppable force as Farm Fresh pulled off a stunning comeback victory over top-seeded PLDT in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference semifinals on Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Farm Fresh erased a four-point deficit in the fourth set and closed the match with a blistering finish, defeating PLDT in four sets, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 25-23, to move one win away from a historic first finals appearance.

Tubu led the charge with a dominant 28-point performance, igniting a late surge that completely flipped the momentum of the match. The Foxies improved to a 1-1 record in the semifinals, while PLDT dropped to 0-2 after suffering another costly collapse.

Tubu delivers clutch takeover in fourth set

PLDT appeared in control late in the fourth set after Mika Reyes helped build a 20-16 advantage, putting the High Speed Hitters on the verge of forcing a deciding frame. However, Farm Fresh refused to back down and slowly chipped away at the deficit.

Ces Molina sparked the comeback, and Tubu immediately followed with a scoring burst that cut into PLDT’s lead and reignited the Foxies’ belief. Even as PLDT briefly responded with defensive stops and a block from Reyes, Farm Fresh stayed composed and continued to apply pressure.

Royse Tubino and Alleiah Malaluan helped push the score to 22-all, setting up a tense finish where Tubu took complete control. She broke through PLDT’s double blocks repeatedly, attacking gaps in the defense and powering Farm Fresh to match point at 24-22.

Malaluan briefly extended PLDT’s life with a clutch hit, but Farm Fresh stayed poised on the final rally. The Foxies went back to Tubu, who finished the match with a thunderous spike that sealed the upset and completed one of the conference’s biggest surprises.

Farm Fresh outlasts PLDT to stay alive in finals chase

Farm Fresh out-attacked PLDT, 65-60, with Tubu getting strong support from Molina and Tubino, who added 12 and 10 points respectively. Ara Galang contributed seven points, while Mylene Paat and Riri Meneses chipped in five apiece in a balanced team effort.

PLDT still held a 11-4 edge in blocks, but Farm Fresh countered with sharper serving, scoring six aces while limiting PLDT to just one. The Foxies also capitalized on reception errors to maintain pressure throughout the match.

Tandara Dy led PLDT with 20 points, while Savi Davison struggled to find rhythm against Farm Fresh’s defense and finished with 18. Malaluan added 17 points, and Majoy Baron contributed seven in a losing effort.

The defeat marked a major setback for PLDT, which had previously beaten Farm Fresh twice earlier in the conference, including in the preliminaries and qualifying round. Instead of another dominant outing, the High Speed Hitters were undone by late-game errors and Farm Fresh’s composure.

With the win, Farm Fresh bounced back from its opening semifinal loss to Cignal and now sits one win away from a breakthrough finals appearance. The Foxies will next face powerhouse Creamline, where a historic berth is on the line.