Away from the spotlight, this ex-Tigress gladly shows worth as a Foxy

Pierre Abellana always keeps herself readyfor Farm Fresh. —PVL IMAGES

Pierre Abellana may not always get the spotlight, but Farm Fresh knows the value of having a reliable service specialist who can deliver when called upon.

Abellana has embraced that role for the Foxies over the past three years, providing steady defense and timely serves whenever she enters the court.

In Farm Fresh’s final PVL on Tour game, Abellana nailed two aces on top of her steady floor defense as they eked out a come-from-behind 20-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-12, 15-10 win over Capital1 on Saturday at the Victorias City Coliseum in Negros Occidental.

Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara brought Abellana and hometown player Maicah Larroza in the postgame interview to praise his unheralded duo alongside Ara Galang and Ces Molina.

Tsuzurabara has been impressed by the University of Santo Tomas product’s consistency.

“Pierre had her best performance. Her progress has been great,” said Tsuzurabara.

Abellana, the 16th overall pick of Farm Fresh in the inaugural Rookie Draft in 2024, was honored by the praise from her coach, saying it reflected the work she has put in since earning her place in the professional ranks.

“I really want to thank coach Koji because he rarely gives compliments,” Abellana said in Filipino. “He’s not really the type to give praise, but he rewards you when he sees that you’re working hard.”

“I know I worked hard for this, and I don’t want to discredit myself either. I’m really thankful to coach for the opportunity.”

Ahead of the Invitationals, where they will face the Jaja Santiago-Minowa-led Creamline, defending champion PLDT, Nxled, and guest teams EST Cola from Thailand and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, Abellana hopes to continue thriving in her role.

“I’m really happy because it’s not an easy role, but I’ve still been given playing time,” she said. “That has been a big factor in building my confidence, and I’ve learned a lot from this role, especially about how to regain my confidence.”

Farm Fresh opens its campaign against EST Cola on Monday next week at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The top two teams in the round-robin format will clash in a winner-take-all final.