Farm Fresh's Alohi Robins-Hardy. PVL Media Bureau
MANILA, Philippines – "It's bittersweet."
That's how Alohi Robins-Hardy described her return to Philippine volleyball, this time in the Premier Volleyball League with the Farm Fresh Foxies.
The Fil-American setter last played in the country with Cignal in 2020 at the Philippine Superliga.
Around five years later, she made it back—but she went through the draft process, as required by the PVL.
Understandably, it was "bittersweet" Farm Fresh debut for Robins-Hardy as the Foxies absorbed a three-set 18-25, 21-25, 26-28 loss at the hands of PLDT High Speed Hitters in the PVL on Tour on Monday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
READ: PVL on Tour: PLDT shackles Farm Fresh in straight sets
Robins-Hardy can finally breathe a sigh of relief as she saw PVL play eight months she intended to see action for the Foxies.
"It's a relief, honestly. It's been way too long," she said.
"First game out there, finally my work is showing. And for our team as well. I'm proud of our girls. We're really trusting the process."
READ: PVL says 'won't allow' Alohi Robins-Hardy's Farm Fresh only preference
The 6-foot-3 player kept herself in touch with volleyball, not letting herself get idle as she embraced a coaching stint with the Foxies and the UP Fighting Maroons.
"Coaching sometimes sucks. From outside, you want to get in there, especially for me since I'm still able to play. Last year was tough, but it's great, honestly. It's amazing."
The new Farm Fresh playmaker said "not as much" changed in Filipino volleyball after all these years, citing the players' "scrappy" behavior on the taraflex, then and now.
READ: Farm Fresh announces signing of Robins-Hardy -- but can she play for them?
"You know, not as much. I know everybody's still scrappy," Robins-Hardy said. "It's just the same scrappy play. But yeah, I mean, there's younger players as well, so they're hitting hard, they're jumping high. Yeah, it's nice."
She contributed three points in her Farm Fresh debut, including a late point off a surprise drop that gave the Foxies a lifeline.