Foxies try to close out strong against struggling and undermanned Solar Spikers

Trisha Tubu will again fly high for Farm Fresh. —PVL IMAGES

VICTORIAS, Negros Occidental—Farm Fresh’s Japanese coach, Koji Tsuzurabara, relished his return to this island, 21 years after the Southeast Asian Games in Bacolod where he steered the Myanmar men’s volleyball squad to a respectable fourth place finish.

This time, the brilliant tactician tries to sustain Farm Fresh’s sustained emergence as a PVL force as the Foxies battle Capital1 in the On Tour on Saturday at Victorias City Coliseum.

“This is my second visit since the 2005 SEA Games. The cityscape has changed a lot, but the heat remains the same,” said Tsuzurabara.

Game time is at 4:30 p.m.

He wants his team to finish strong, as they see action in the Invitationals starting on Aug. 31 against defending champion PLDT, Creamline, and Nxled as well as guest teams EST Cola from Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City from Vietnam.

Capital1, which will continue to miss its national team trio Bella Belen, Erika Santos, and Vanie Gandler, is focused on building on its connection with several newcomers in the team.

Brazilian coach Jorge Souza De Brito banks on Pauline Gaston, Shaya Adorador, Jasmine Nabor, Sydney Niegos, and rookies Khy Cepada and Detdet Pepito.

The Solar Spikers, who lost to Nxled in Vigan last July 25, want to make the most of the preseason as they prepare for the year-ending All-Filipino Conference.

“Right now, we’re really focused on ourselves and on how each player can showcase their strengths,” said Capital1 libero Roma Mae Doromal in Filipino. “I think that’s what we really need to work on—understanding our team dynamics and improving our overall performance.

“We’re really excited because our team is becoming more competitive, and that’s where our winning mentality comes in,” she went on. “We’re very blessed to have these new players, and we’re really looking forward to what they can bring to the team.”

Doromal enjoyed visiting the tourist spots in Negros and meeting their Ilonggo fans.

“It’s really nice and heartwarming to see how welcoming the people here are, especially the Ilonggos,” the third year pro said. “They’re so sweet and friendly. We’re very grateful to be here, showcase our talents and hopefully inspire them as well.”