Farm Fresh squandered four match points in the decider, then needed a video review to finish the job. The ruling on a Ces Molina attack gave the Foxies a 15-10 fifth-set win over ZUS Coffee and capped a comeback from a 1-2 deficit in sets.

The 25-21, 16-25, 21-25, 25-19, 15-10 win at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City on Thursday lifted Farm Fresh to 3-2, tied with Choco Mucho. It kept the Foxies in the semifinal race of the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series.

Video Review Settles Wild Finish

The Foxies took command in the deciding set, grabbing eight of the first 11 points behind Royse Tubino’s power game. Jovelyn Gonzaga’s hit after a long rally cut ZUS Coffee’s deficit to 6-10, but Farm Fresh answered with four straight points.

Riri Meneses’ block of Riza Nogales capped that run and put Farm Fresh at 14-6, one point from victory. ZUS Coffee then reeled off four straight points, the last off an AC Miner attack, to make it 14-10.

Coach Koji Tsuzurabara called a timeout to settle his players after they had squandered four match points. Molina then appeared to send an attack long, seemingly handing the Thunderbelles another lifeline.

Farm Fresh challenged the ball-in, ball-out call, and video review confirmed the ball landed just inside the baseline. The point went to the Foxies, ending the two-hour, 10-minute match in an anticlimactic finish.

Foxies Keep Semifinal Hopes Alive

Farm Fresh had to climb out of a 1-2 deficit in sets after dropping the second and third. The Foxies seized control of the fourth with a 5-0 run to force the decider, again showing their staying power in marathon matches.

“Mas mahirap ang panalong ito kumpara sa mga nauna naming victories dahil pride ang nakataya,” said Molina, who had 18 points, 12 digs and 17 receptions for a triple-double. She said ZUS Coffee gave its best.

“Mas mabibigat pa ang mga susunod naming laban, kaya kailangan talaga naming makuha ang panalong ito,” Molina added, acknowledging the challenge posed by their sister team, ZUS Coffee, which all but bowed out of the semifinal race at 0-5.

Tubino led Farm Fresh with 20 points, and Trisha Tubu added 17, helping the Foxies to a 67-59 edge in attacks. ZUS Coffee won the blocking battle, 18-16, but Farm Fresh gave away 21 points on errors, compared with 16 for ZUS Coffee.

Miner led ZUS Coffee with 21 points, while Jolina dela Cruz scored 17 and Zam Nolasco 16. Kate Santiago and Gonzaga each added nine off the bench in another painful near-miss for the winless Thunderbelles.

In their last four outings, all five-setters, the Foxies lost to Nxled, beat Choco Mucho, lost to Akari and now beat ZUS Coffee. It was the eighth five-set match in 21 games in the conference.

With the gap between winning and losing razor-thin, every result carries weight in the semifinal race. Molina said all teams keep improving, so Farm Fresh must stay consistent, focused and ready in every game.