THE BLUE and White ended their campaign in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82 Men’s Table Tennis Tournament on the receiving end of a sweep by the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers, 0-3, and registered another loss to the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, 0-3, on Monday, November 18, at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. The team finished the season with a 1-12 overall record.
In the first team-tie, sophomore Bailey Acidera opened proceedings against Green Archer Koby Cabrido. Cabrido cruised in straight sets, 11-5, 11-4, 11-2. In the ensuing match, Mark Parman found himself in a tight battle against DLSU’s Tarak Cabrido. The Green Archer took the first set, 11-8, but Ateneo’s team captain answered back and took the second set, 11-9. Cabrido took the third, 11-6, before escaping Parman’s late rally in the fourth, 11-7.
Ateneo fielded Carlo Chua and Jamie De Asis to counter DLSU bets Christian Crisostomo and Daniel Ocon. Errors got the best of the Ateneo pair as they lost the opening set, 8-11. Fluid rallies marked a closely played set that ultimately went the way of the Green Archers, 13-11. Finally, in the third set, most of DLSU’s offensive attacks connected in a 11-6 win.
In the final team-tie of the season, the Blue and White faced the Soaring Falcons. Deo Cuaresma challenged AdU’s Paolo Monforte in the opening match. Monforte’s poise bested the Ateneo rookie in straight sets, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6. In the Second Singles match, Parman faced a familiar foe in AdU’s Isaac Eneria. A seesaw battle commenced between the two as Eneria notched the first set, 11-6, while Parman bounced back to take the second set, 11-6. The pair exchanged the third and fourth sets before Eneria concluded their five-set thriller with a 11-5 victory.
The tandem of Chua and De Asis was tested once again, this time against AdU’s Cj Balanquit and Vlad Rarama. The Blue Eagles started the match in tune with an 11-7 win. In response, Adamson held their nerve to win the two succeeding sets. Chua and De Asis forced the match to go the distance after securing the fourth set, but AdU squeezed out the overall victory in the deciding set, 11-9.
Set scores (Ateneo-DLSU): Ateneo – 0 DLSU – 3
First Men’s Singles (Acidera vs K. Cabrido): 5-11, 4-11, 2-11
Second Men’s Singles (Parman vs T. Cabrido): 8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 7-11
First Men’s Doubles (Chua and J. De Asis vs Crisostomo and Ocon): 8-11, 11-13, 6-11
Set Scores (Ateneo-AdU): Ateneo – 0 AdU – 3
First Men’s Singles (Cuaresma vs Monforte): 6-11, 8- 11, 6-11
Second Men’s Singles (Parman vs Eneria): 6-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-6, 5-11
First Men’s Doubles (Chua and J. De Asis vs Balanquit and Rarama): 11-7, 6-11, 11-13, 11-9, 9-11
