What once felt like a distant dream is now a reality for Farm Fresh — and for Trisha Tubu, it still feels almost surreal.

From their humble beginnings three years ago to this defining moment, Tubu has been at the heart of the Foxies’ steady rise.

On Tuesday, she helped turn years of hard work and belief into history as Farm Fresh stormed into its first-ever semifinals with a commanding 25-17, 25-20, 25-19 victory over Nxled in the final round of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference play-in.

“To be honest, po sobrang sarap sa feeling,” said the 25-year-old opposite spiker, who finished with 12 points in the win.

“Pinapangarap ko lang ‘to dati as in and hindi ko alam kung kailan namin makukuha pero ito, through process and help na lang din ng management and bawat isa talagang trinabaho namin itong semis berth na to,” she added.

“Sobrang fulfilling as in hindi ko ma-explain.”

(C) PVL Images

Her words reflected the reality of how far the Foxies have come since joining the league.

Built step by step since 2023, Farm Fresh has steadily improved through each conference despite several coaching changes, showing resilience as it adapted to new systems while staying committed to long-term growth.

Those transitions, Tubu said, ultimately strengthened the team. Each shift under coaches Jerry Yee, Japanese Shota Sato, interim mentor Benson Bocboc, Italian Alessandro Lodi, and now Japanese Koji Tsuzurabara forced the Foxies to adjust, learn, and gradually shape a stronger, more defined identity both on and off the court.

“Since alam niyo naman po, naka-ilang coach na rin kami, iba’t ibang sistema. Siguro good thing po sa amin ‘yun. Yung pag-adjust, hindi naman siya ganoon kadali, pero hindi rin naman ganoon kahirap,” said the four-time PVL Best Opposite Hitter.

“Sanay kami sa paiba-ibang sistema. Yung mga sistemang ‘yun na-apply namin sa lahat ng games namin, and yung bagong sistema ni Coach nag-add up lang, with the help of Coach Koji din talaga, talagang trinabaho niya sa amin.”

Tubu said the transition to Tsuzurabara’s system helped shift the team’s mindset, reinforcing the belief that the Foxies are no longer just challengers.

Now, as they step into their first-ever semifinals, Farm Fresh is a team capable of competing at a higher level.

#WATCH: PINAPANGARAP KO LANG ‘TO DATI

Trisha Tubu says making it to the final four of a PVL conference is a culmination of a long journey for Farm Fresh#ReadMore https://t.co/NwshNiDvyB

@jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#PVL2026 pic.twitter.com/AGlqV7vkq1

— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) April 7, 2026

The post Trisha Tubu credits coaching changes for Farm Fresh’s dream semis berth appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

There are soon to be major changes in the leadership of the NFF so also the technical department, where the contracts of technical director Austin Eguavoen as well as other top officials are set to run out.

The contracts of the chieftains of the NFF technical department will come to an end in September.

Former Super Eagles captain Eguavoen has headed the NFF technical department for the past five years during which time he has taken charge of the country’s team on two separate occasions – for the delayed 2021 AFCON in Cameroon leading up to the ill-fated 2022 World Cup Playoffs against Ghana and then for the qualifiers for the 2025 AFCON.

Close observers have alleged that he and his department have not enjoyed the necessary support of the current NFF hierachy.

The post Major changes at NFF technical department, Eguavoen, others’ contracts up first appeared on Score Nigeria.

Alex Eala is back on the court as the clay season beckons, arriving in Linz, the third-largest city in Austria, nestled along the historic Danube River.

After a short break following the Miami Open, the 20-year-old Filipino star is set to compete in the 2026 Upper Austria Ladies Linz, running from April 6-12.

The WTA 500 tournament will take place on the indoor clay courts of the Design Center Linz.

A number of marquee players are signed up for the event.

Three of the four highest-ranked Russian players in the world will vie for the title: top-seeded teen sensation and world No. 10 Mirra Andreeva, second-seeded defending champion Ekaterina Alexandrova, and third seed Liudmila Samsanova, ranked 21st globally.

Veteran stars also add to the competition, including former world No. 1 Karolína Plíšková of the Czech Republic, fourth seed and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, and former US Open champion Sloane Stephens of the United States.

Eala, whose world ranking slipped to 45 as of the first week of April after failing to defend points from the 2025 Miami Open, enters Linz unseeded.

She will face local favorite and world No. 87 Julia Grabher in the first round.

The 29-year-old Austrian reached a career-high ranking of 54 in 2023 and won her second WTA 125 title at the 2025 MundoTenis Open in Brazil last October.

Grabher also claimed a first-round victory over former world No. 29 Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy at the Australian Open earlier this year before falling to Anna Kalinskaya in the second round.

However, she has won just one of her last six matches across five tournaments since then.

The winner of the Eala-Grabher match will advance to the Round of 16, where a showdown with Jelena Ostapenko awaits.

The post Alex Eala begins clay season against hometown bet appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.