At 37, PVL Player of the Week Rachel Anne Daquis leads Farm Fresh franchise-best run

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Once thought to be all but retired in competitive volleyball, 37-year-old legend Rachel Anne Daquis proves to still be on top of her game as she leads young Farm Fresh to a franchise-best PVL campaign in the 2025 All-Filipino Conference

MANILA, Philippines – If Father Time is undefeated, then Rachel Ann Daquis is surely giving him a run for his money.

Once thought to be all but retired in competitive volleyball, the 37-year-old legend is back in full force in the 2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference as she turned in a vintage 19-point outing in Farm Fresh’s thrilling reverse sweep Capital1 last Tuesday, February 18, plus 13 excellent digs for a well-rounded line.

With swinging attacks consistent as the hands of time itself, Daquis stepped up as the much-needed veteran presence in the clutch for a young Farm Fresh squad, and fittingly hammered the match-winning kill to lift the Foxies to a franchise-best 5-6 record at the end of the preliminary round.

For her throwback exploits, Daquis earned herself a unanimous selection as the PVL Press Corps Player of the Week for the period of February 18 to 22.

The former Cignal mainstay, playing in her first tournament since the 2023 Invitational Conference, bested fellow icon Alyssa Valdez of Creamline, Petro Gazz’s MJ Phillips, Cignal’s Vanie Gandler, Choco Mucho’s Isa Molde, and PLDT’s possible MVP candidate Savi Davison for the weekly plum decided by reporters covering the competition.

Though already fulfilled in her career and just content with helping out the younger volleyball generations, Daquis remains hungry by example for her teammates as they scale a steep incline towards a breakthrough PVL title.

“We’re still lacking because we wouldn’t need to reach the fifth set if we’re okay, so we need to start hitting early,” she said in Filipino. “We’re lacking, but we have progress, and that’s what’s important, for us to rise one step at a time.”

“This is where our character will be tested, not only through wins. We need to build character because the talent is already there for Farm Fresh. They’re already so skilled. What we need is to fight until the end.”

Sixth-ranked Farm Fresh returns to action on Tuesday, March 4 as it faces No. 7 Akari in the knockout qualifying round for one of six outright quarterfinals spots.

Losers of the qualifiers descend to the play-in tournament, where they have one last chance to earn one of two remaining quarters berths to complete the eight-team cast. – Rappler.com