Murillo shines, tows Foxies past Highrisers

Colombian import Yeny Murillo took over in the fifth set to bring Farm Fresh to its first victory over Galeries Tower, 25-22, 35-37, 23-25, 25-20, 15-10, in Pool A of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference Tuesday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Murillo scored eight of her 29 points including five in the decisive 6-0 rally in the deciding frame that sparked the Foxies’ pull-away to check a two-game slide.

Farm Fresh banked on the reinforcement to steer the team back on the right track after surrendering the second and third sets that it controlled in the early going before sputtering in the closing stretches.

“You know we have been working really hard. We are trying to get embedded with each other. And I thought that my team needed this win,” Murillo said.

The open spiker hammered 26 kills and was active on floor defense with 16 excellent receptions and 10 digs for Farm Fresh, who displayed great net defense with 16 kill blocks and landed 10 aces.

“My team needs this (win) motivation to keep pushing and keep pushing harder. So, my team was my first motivation to keep pushing until the end and keep fighting,” Murillo said.

Down, 5-6, in the fifth frame, Murillo punched in four straight points followed by a setter Louie Romero kill block before hitting another kill to put the Foxies on top.

The High Risers closed the gap, 10-12, after a Trisha Tubu attack error. But Galeries Tower squandered the opportunity of a comeback after Graze Bombita overshot her crosscourt kill before Maicah Larroza ended the two-hour, 42-minute match with an ace.

Tubu and Caitlin Viray, who had five kill blocks, scored 18 each to back Murillo while Aprylle Tagsip finished with 15 markers including four kill blocks for the Foxies.

Galeries Tower behind Thai import Sutadta Chuewulim, Bombita and Roselle Baliton outlasted Farm Fresh in the extended second frame. Baliton finished the 45-minute second set with a kill block and a quick attack.

The Highrisers then overhauled a 4-11 deficit in the third frame to take a 2-1 match lead.

Galeries Tower remained winless in three starts.

Chuewulim scored 19 points with all but one coming off spikes and added 19 excellent receptions and 10 digs.

France Ronquillo and Bombita made 17 markers each while Baliton got 14 points for the High Risers.