Helene Rousseaux Leads Farm Fresh’s Fiery Rebound Over Choco Mucho, Clinch Pool D ticket

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by Cristian Andal

Farm Fresh import Helene Rousseaux (19) led the Foxies in their win against Choco Mucho.
Farm Fresh import Helene Rousseaux (19) led the Foxies in their win against Choco Mucho. Photo: PVL Images. 

Farm Fresh just showed the league how to bounce back in style. 

Shaking off last week’s stumble against PLDT, the Foxies roared to life and overpowered the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in four sets, 25-18, 25-13, 18-25, 26-24, on Friday night at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

Led by Belgian star Helene Rousseaux, the Foxies looked every bit like a team on a mission, sealing their spot in Pool D with a strong 4-1 elimination round record in Pool A. The win keeps their semifinal hopes very much alive in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference and sends a message that Farm Fresh is far from done.

Rousseaux was a force of nature once again, hammering 27 points on 25 kills, two blocks, and adding six digs for good measure. The Foxies stumbled in the third set but dug deep to close out the fourth in thrilling fashion.

Trisha Tubu (12) and Ces Molina.
Trisha Tubu (12) and Ces Molina. Photo: PVL Images.

Down 21-23 late in the fourth frame, Rousseaux refused to let it slip away, firing back-to-back kills to tie the score. Rizza Cruz followed with an ace for match point, and after a brief exchange of service errors, Rousseaux finished the job with a vicious cross-court hit that left Choco Mucho stunned.

Farm Fresh head coach Alessandro Lodi praised his squad’s resilience and adaptability.

“You can’t play perfect every match,” Lodi said. “But great teams know how to fight through tough moments and still find a way to win. That’s what I’m most proud of—we showed grit.”

Local ace Trisha Tubu delivered her usual spark with 17 points (14 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace), while Ces Molina was steady on both offense and defense, chipping in 11 points, 12 digs, and 8 receptions. Setter Alohi Robins-Hardy kept the offense flowing with 20 excellent sets and five points, while Alyssa Bertolano, now playing as libero, anchored the floor with 10 solid receptions.

The Foxies’ balanced mix of international power and local heart continues to click at just the right time.

Choco Mucho's Kat Tolentino (10) spikes the ball against Farm Fresh.
Choco Mucho's Kat Tolentino (10) spikes the ball against Farm Fresh. Photo: PVL Images.

For Choco Mucho, it was another tough night. Kat Tolentino led the Flying Titans with 12 points, while Royse Tubino and Maddie Madayag added 11 and 10, respectively.

Next up, Choco Mucho faces Capital1 in a crucial tiebreaker for the third seed on Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. But for now, it’s the Foxies’ fire that’s lighting up the PVL stage.