Farm Fresh Foxies’ Trisha Tubu — PVL PHOTO
DASMARIÑAS, CAVITE—Trisha Tubu admitted to being intimidated early on by new coach Alessandro Lodi.
Farm Fresh’s Italian mentor is high-spirited, extra passionate and straightforward—among others.
“At first, we were honestly scared of him. Really scared. He’s super organized and strict about everything,” Tubu told the Inquirer on Saturday.
But as the Foxies’ star hitter eventually found out, those traits proved fruitful, not just for the team but also for the growth of everyone on the team.
Tubu, in fact, has learned to play smarter, a growth that was put on full display against Capital1 in a knockout game, 25-20, 25-15, 25-21, for a quarterfinal berth in the PVL on Tour on Saturday at Dasmariñas Arena here.
Over time, Tubu and her teammates began embracing their coach’s fiery personality.
“It’s actually good that he’s so detailed, because it’s the small things that pile up and cost us games,” Tubu said in Filipino after leading the way with 15 points off nine spikes, four blocks and two aces.“He also brings a lot of energy. You see him jumping, shouting. It kind of wakes us up. There are times we zone out, and he’ll call it out. He told us earlier, ‘Your minds were off. That’s why you’re getting caught [unaware].’ His coaching is really hands-on. It feels great knowing he sees even the tiniest mistakes. That helps us fix them before they become habits,” she added.
Farm Fresh squandered a 15-7 lead in the third set as Pia Abbu caught fire and conspired with Trisha Genesis to tie the game at 16-all before Rovie Instrella and Genesis gave the lead to Capital1 thrice, the last at 20-19.
Tubu restored the order with a kill block to stop the bleeding and mount a 23-21 gap before Lorene Toring drilled an ace and Jolina Dela Cruz nailed the game-winning spike to end the match in 90 minutes.
From being known as a powerful spiker, Tubu believes that Lodi turned her into a smarter player, making the multi-awarded PVL opposite hitter a more dangerous offensive threat.
“Before, I thought it was all about hitting hard. But now, blockers are getting taller, and opponents are getting smarter. Most of the players I face are veterans, and they’re a step ahead. So it feels good to finally catch up by playing more intelligently,” said Tubu.
“We’re playing smarter now. He told us that in international games, power plays aren’t really the trend anymore. We have to use our brains when we play. The lessons he gives are simple, but they’re just as effective. It feels great that he’s sharing these ideas with us. He said it’s not just useful here, but if we ever get the chance to play abroad, it’s the kind of style coaches will look for,” she added.
Most importantly, the Italian coach, who is the fourth Farm Fresh coach since the franchise joined the league in 2023, allows Tubu and the Foxies to commit mistakes as long as they are on the right track.
“I used to be scared of making mistakes. But he talked to me and asked, ‘Why are you afraid to make mistakes? Everyone makes them.’ He told me I’m just doing my job. That really opened my mind. That changed the way I think, not just in volleyball but in life, too,” she said.
Alohi Robins-Hardy scattered the Foxies’ offensive wealth with 15 excellent sets on top of five points. Lorene Toring and Caitlin Viray delivered 11 points apiece.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
Farm Fresh battles Creamline in another knockout game on Aug. 9 at Philsports Arena, where the franchise will gun for its first PVL semifinal appearance against the most successful pro volleyball club in the country.
