THE ATENEO Lady Eagles will return to the Finals after an astonishing victory over the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, 3-2, in their knockout semi-final match of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Women’s Badminton Tournament on Monday, October 8, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Chanelle Lunod was the first to grace the court against NU’s Thea Pomar in today’s heated rivalry. Despite trailing early, Lunod was able to offset Pomar’s aggressive play to take the hard-earned first set, 24-22.
[First Women’s Singles]
Lunod exclaims as she lands a perfectly executed net shot.
Ateneo 2 NU 4#UAAPBadminton pic.twitter.com/gdeHgufLKP
— Gio P. Guinto (@Gio_TheGUIDON) October 8, 2018
Following the first set, Lunod found herself down 7-11 by the second interval. Facing a four-point deficit, Lunod fought valiantly to give her a two-point cushion at 17-14. Lunod then managed to hold off Pomar in the second set, 21-19.
[First Women’s Singles]
Lunod delivers a backrow kill, completing the come from behind set victory, 21-19! Her efforts reward Ateneo with its first team-tie victory.
Team-tie score: Ateneo 1 NU 0#UAAPBadminton pic.twitter.com/1CyRlKce0j
— Gio P. Guinto (@Gio_TheGUIDON) October 8, 2018
The second singles match was played by Geva De Vera and NU’s Sarah Barredo. Barredo, who has yet to lose a singles match against Ateneo this season, continued her dominance against De Vera. Barredo’s menacing strikes proved to be too much for De Vera as she fell in two sets, 15-21, 7-21.
[Second Women’s Singles]
Gradual errors continue to haunt De Vera.
Ateneo 2 NU 9#UAAPBadminton pic.twitter.com/lZzrr4LbZR
— Gio P. Guinto (@Gio_TheGUIDON) October 8, 2018
Now level in the team-tie, Team Captain Samantha Ramos was paired with Bea Felizardo in an attempt to give Ateneo the advantage against Jeya Pinlac and Jiselle Capillo. The Lady Bulldog duo went on to claim the match, 8-21, 15-21, easily as the Ateneo lady shuttlers struggled to find their groove.
[First Women’s Doubles]
The Lady Shuttlers suffer a tough loss as Pinlac fires a brilliant clear to close out the game in two sets.
Team-tie score: Ateneo 1 NU 2#UAAPBadminton pic.twitter.com/aYLl1e03g0
— Gio P. Guinto (@Gio_TheGUIDON) October 8, 2018
Now falling behind 1-2, the imperative task of keeping Ateneo’s title hopes alive were placed upon the shoulders of seasoned veterans, Lunod and De Vera. The formidable Blue and White combo lived up to their expectations as they delivered a compelling straight-set win, 21-13, 21-19, against the NU pair composed of Barredo and Pomar.
Lunod and De Vera’s pivotal win set the stage for a fiery duel between Ramos and Capillo.
The fate of the Ateneo lady shuttlers lay in the hands of Queen Eagle, Samantha Ramos. Set to take on Capillo for the deciding third singles match, Ramos was determined to take down her opponent to seal the victory. The Lady Bulldog gained the upper hand on the Lady Eagle in the first set, 20-22, after capitalizing on Ramos’ jittery play. However, the story played out differently in the last two sets.
Using her grit and smarts, and showing heart when it mattered the most, Ramos was able to outplay the more athletic Capillo. Her arsenal of clever moves was too much for Capillo. Ramos’ composure under pressure allowed her to maintain momentum to convincingly take the second and third set, 21-14, 21-13, to carry her team to the finals.
[Third Women’s Singles]
With an error by Capillo, the Lady Shuttlers are headed to finals after an amazing victory by Team Captain, Sam Ramos. She closes out the final set, 21-12.
Team-tie score: Ateneo 3 NU 2#UAAPBadminton pic.twitter.com/a7TMywzlYt
— Gio P. Guinto (@Gio_TheGUIDON) October 8, 2018
This win completes the Ateneo lady shuttler’s 2-0 sweep against the NU Lady Bulldogs in the semifinal round.
The Lady Eagles will play the first game of their best-of-three Finals series against the top-seeded University of the Philippines (UP), at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, October 10 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Team-tie score: Ateneo 3 NU 2
1st Singles: Chanelle Lunod def. Thea Pomar, 24-22, 21-19
2nd Singles: Geva De Vera los. Sarah Barredo, 21-15, 21-7
1st Doubles: Samantha Ramos/Bea Felizardo los. Jiselle Capillo/Jeya Pinlac, 21-8, 21-15
2nd Doubles: Geva De Vera/Chanelle Lunod def. Sarah Barredo/Thea Pomar, 21-13, 21-19
3rd Singles: Samantha Ramos def. Jiselle Capillo, 20-22, 21-14, 21-13
