PVL: Yeny Murillo lifts Farm Fresh over Galeries for first win

Farm Fresh import Yeny Murillo during the PVL Reinforced Conference.–PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Farm Fresh finally broke through the win column of the PVL Reinforced Conference Pool A on Tuesday at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Yeny Murillo punched in 29 points built on 26 attacks, two blocks and an ace, her best performance, to lift the Foxies past skidding Galeries Tower, 25-22, 35-37, 23-25, 25-20, 15-10 as Farm Fresh improved to a 1-2 card.

“We have been working really hard and we are trying to get in rhythm with each other and I thought that my team needed this win because my team needs motivation to keep pushing harder,” Murillo said.

READ: PVL: Farm Fresh taps Yeny Murillo for Reinforced Conference

Farm Fresh coach Shota Sato, Yeny Murillo, and Cait Viray after their first win. #PVL2024 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/gWkx0uEmlF

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) July 30, 2024

“My team was my first motivation to keep pushing until the end and keep fighting,” she added after also catching 10 excellent digs and 16 excellent receptions.

Trisha Tubu and Caitlin Viray, the two local go-to hitters of Farm Fresh, also had great impact after producing 18 points apiece. Janel Delerio protected the floor with 25 excellent digs and 12 excellent receptions.

Despite sitting out the third frame, Tubu converted 15 kills while the former University of Santo Tomas cog stopped five of the 16 total blocks of the Foxies. Ckyle Tagsip also had 15 points including four blocks.

“I am happy [with our first win], although we still had lapses during the endgame, we still finished it with a win so happy to have stayed with it but I know we still have a lot to work on,” Viray said in Filipino.

Setter Louie Romero orchestrated the Foxies’ offense with 27 excellent sets to give new Japanese mentor Shuta Sato his first win as head coach.

Galeries Tower dropped its third consecutive match in as many games despite a gallant stand in the extended second frame and the third set.

READ: PVL: Creamline turns back Farm Fresh to recover from opening loss

Chuewulim Sutadta, the Highrisers’ Thai import, came up with 19 points mostly from attacks but was not able to keep Galeries Tower steady. She also had 10 excellent digs and 19 excellent receptions.

France Ronquillo had 17 points, including two blocks, as well as Graze Bombita, all but one coming from kills. Roselle Baliton finished with 14 points including three blocks.

Renee Mabilangan tossed 23 excellent sets while Alyssa Eroa caught 18 excellent digs and 22 excellent receptions.

Farm Fresh was trailing in the opening frame but worked hard to keep up and eventually take the set. Galeries Tower bounced back from that first set upset as the two squads pounded each other in the 45-minute action packed second set before Baliton scored the last two set-clinching points.

The Highrisers gained the early lead in the deciding frame before four straight points from Murillo and a block point by Romero gave the Foxies a 10-6 lead.

Romero kept on going to Murillo before Bombita committed an attack error that sailed out and Maicah Larroza ended the two hour and 28 minute encounter with an ace that nicked the net before falling on Galeries Tower’s floor.

“My motivation was we cannot lose [the remaining] sets. We were doing really good in the first set, we were up [for the most] of the time so we needed to push and that’s why I told my team,” Murillo said.

Farm Fresh will look to continue its new found momentum against Nxled next on Saturday.