Farm Fresh's Tubu clueless on being named PVL Best Opposite Spiker

MANILA, Philippines – Farm Fresh star hitter Trisha Tubu said that she did not expect to win the Best Opposite Spiker award in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference, as she became the first-ever Foxy to win an individual award since they joined the league last season.

In her second season with Farm Fresh, Tubu finished with 123 points, which was good enough to be the highest among Opposite Spikers in the league. She also had a 36.77% success rate.

Flanked by Tubu’s offense and reinforcement Yeny Murillo, Farm Fresh headed to its first-ever postseason stint in the PVL. But even after everything that she achieved, the former Adamson standout just couldn’t quite believe it.

“Actually nagulat lang din po ako nung sinabi sa akin ni Ate Kiara [Cruz] na pumunta ka ng awarding. Sabi niyang ganun. So hindi ko po alam kung anong gagawin ko doon. Kasi yun nga po, akala ko kailangan lang ng representative per team,” said Tubu after a three-set loss to Kurashiki Ablaze on Thursday afternoon. 

“Tapos nung morning, sabi sa akin, Congrats Tubs. Punta kang awarding. Tapos nagulat po ako. Talagang wala akong idea bakit ako, ba’t ganun,” she added.

Tubu was part of the 2024 Premier Team led by double Most Valuable Bernadeth Pons. She was joined by the likes of veterans Grethcel Soltones, Gel Cayuna, Brooke Van Sickle and Majoy Baron. Knowing the caliber of her contemporaries, Tubu couldn’t help but feel pressured and out of place.

“Medyo napressure [ako]. Sabi ko kay coach [Shota Sato], I’m pressured because of that award,” she said.

Still, Sato urged the young star to step up to the plate and respond positively to the pressure that she feels with the individual award.

“Sabi nga ni Coach na mahalin ko yung pressure na yun tapos lagi kong tandaan na deserve ko yun. Na tinrabaho ko yun. So ipakita ko pa [yung kaya ko at] yakapin ko yung award na yun na binigay sa akin yun kasi para sa akin yun. Laging sinasabi [nila] sa akin,” she said. 

“Sabi ko, parang hindi ko naman yata deserve yun. Sabi kong ganun. Tapos sabi [nila] no, you worked hard,” she added.

Tubu and the rest of the Foxies are late additions to the Invitational Conference, after Reinforced Conference semifinalists PLDT and Akari both pulled out due to injuries to their players.

Despite the straight sets loss to Kurashiki to start things off, Tubu remains appreciative of the experience they are able to get from the tournament.

“Syempre masaya po dahil top teams po yung nandito tapos may foreign teams pa, nabigyan kami ng chance na makapaglaro dito. Masaya po kasi dagdag experience sa amin.” said Tubu. 

“Even yun nga po, nastraight sets kami pero marami parin po kaming takeaway ngayon na magagamit po namin sa next games namin and yun po, sa upcoming All-Filipino.”

The Foxies play the Cignal HD Spikers next on Friday, September 6, at the Santa Rosa Complex in Laguna.