Helene Rousseaux shone in her PVL debut with 38 points as Farm Fresh coach Alessandro Lodi praised her as not only the perfect player but the perfect person to lead the Foxies.
Helene Rousseaux couldn’t have asked for a better PVL debut.
The 34-year-old Belgian spiker put up a game-high 38 points to lead the Farm Fresh Foxies past the Nxled Chameleons in four sets, 22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-21, in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference at the City of Dasmariñas Arena on Thursday, October 9.
Back from a grueling ankle injury she suffered in the Turkish League back in March, Rousseaux couldn’t contain her happiness to be back on the court and playing volleyball.
“I was really happy to play my first game again after my injury in March, so it was a special moment for me and I'm really, really happy that it went this way and that it's with this group and this coach,” she said during the post-game press conference.
Right player, right person
For head coach Alessandro Lodi, Rousseaux’s dominant performance only reinforced what he already knew — that she wasn’t just the right player for the Foxies, but the right person to lead them.
“I’ve coached for many years in many countries and recruited many players,” Lodi said. “You have to understand what the right player is for your team, but also what the right person is.”
[ALSO READ: PVL: How high-spirited Alessandro Lodi became the right coach for Trisha Tubu, Farm Fresh]
Lodi explained that in building a team, talent alone isn’t enough. Things like attitude, adaptability, and chemistry matter just as much.
The Italian mentor added that Rousseaux checked every box, both on and off the court.
“The good thing I did was picking not only the right player, which was kind of easy to do, but picking the right person to integrate very well with these players,” Lodi shared. “Ely is the perfect person to complement this team, to work with this team."
Not a one-person job
Still, Lodi was quick to emphasize that Rousseaux can’t do it all on her own.
“She cannot save us. It’s not fair to expect that,” he said. “Yes, she’ll be our top scorer for sure, but we need more people to contribute.”
“We need to lower her load, you know, because we kind of want her to finish this league alive, you know, both for performance sake and also for the rest of her career.”
Alessandro Lodi talks to his players during Farm Fresh's four-set win against Nxled in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference. | Photo: PVL
As the Foxies continue their campaign, Lodi hopes the team builds on their opening win by playing with collective confidence.
“I need everyone on the team to really step up and contribute as if they were, as if each of them was the one that we need to rely on to win games. And if everyone has that mentality, we're going to be a good team,” said Lodi.
Up next for Farm Fresh will be the Cignal Super Spikers next Thursday, October 16, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.