Photo credit: PVL

Just when you thought Rachel Anne Daquis was ready to ride off into the sunset, she comes back swinging—literally. At 37, the volleyball icon is proving that age is just a number, delivering a throwback performance in the 2024-2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference that had fans and analysts alike in awe.

Daquis turned back the clock last Tuesday, dropping a stellar 19-point performance in Farm Fresh's dramatic reverse sweep over Capital1. And as if that wasn’t enough, she added 13 excellent digs to round out an all-around masterclass, sealing the win with a clutch match-winning kill. With that victory, the Foxies secured a franchise-best 5-6 record to close the preliminary round—something that wouldn’t have been possible without their fearless veteran leader.

Her heroics earned her the PVL Press Corps Player of the Week honors (Feb. 18-22), unanimously selected over top stars like Alyssa Valdez, MJ Phillips, and Savi Davison. Not bad for someone many thought had already stepped away from the limelight, huh?

This was Daquis’ first tournament since the 2023 Invitational Conference, and while she’s already accomplished so much in her career, she remains hungry—not for personal accolades, but to guide her younger teammates as they chase their first PVL title.

"We’re still not where we need to be," Daquis admitted after their win. "If we were, we wouldn’t be going to a fifth set. But there’s progress, and that’s what matters—one step at a time."

Farm Fresh is far from done, with a big test ahead as they face Akari on March 4 in the qualifying round. A win secures them a spot in the quarterfinals, but a loss would send them to the play-in tournament for one last shot at making the cut.

One thing’s for sure: with Daquis leading the way, you can never count the Foxies out.