Photo by Sarah N. Aquino

BOLSTERED BY the addition of two of the country’s top female players, the Ateneo Lady Shuttlers breezed through the opening weekend of UAAP Badminton with impressive wins over the University of the Philippines and the University of the East.

ADMU vs. AdU

This past weekend was no different, as the women in blue showed the jam-packed Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Badminton Hall just how dominant they could be. On Saturday, August 13, they mastered the Adamson Lady Falcons with a 5-0 whitewashing.

Up first was rookie sensation Dia Magno, who was pitted against Adamson’s Verna Belason. The first game was straightforward, as the Atenean moved her opponent around and overpowered her at the net for a 21-11 score line. In the second game, Magno started rather slow, allowing Belason to stay close with some errors at the net. Finally finding her groove once again, Magno pulled away via perfectly placed drop shots for a 21-15 second game win.

Lady Shuttler and Philippine Badminton Ranking System (PBaRS) Open Women’s Singles number one Gelita Castilo was hardly challenged by Diane Clado in the second singles match. The first point of the match set the tone of their bout, as Clado sent her serve sailing out of bounds; it would be the first of her six service errors. The Lady Falcon just couldn’t hurt Castilo, as the latter’s error-free play gave her the first game, 21-8.

In UAAP Women’s Badminton, Castilo’s artistry at the net is probably unmatched and she showed just that with drop shots and cross court wonders that left Clado scrambling. After leading 11-5 at the break, the Lady Shuttler cruised to a 21-9 victory in the second game—handing Ateneo a commanding two matches to love lead in the tie.

The Vincentian pair of Clado and Ana Palenzuela was dispatched rather easily by Ateneans Magno and Carla Lizardo in the first doubles match of the afternoon. While women’s doubles is usually characterized by soft and crafty play at the net, Lizardo showed just the opposite, drilling smash after smash into the Adamson frontcourt. With their smashes pushing the opposing pair back on their heels, Magno and Lizardo won the first game effortlessly, 21-6.

Though they were more careless in the second game, the Ateneo pair was too strong. Magno and Lizardo wrapped up the match, 21-10, and gave the Blue and White its third straight win this season.

Castilo and Mikee Roxas stepped onto the court against Adamson’s Belason and Lovely Sawada for the first no-bearing match of the day. Despite their opponents’ energetic play, Castilo’s all-around dominance was not to be undone, and the Lady Shuttlers snatched the first game, 21-16. The second game was uneventful and all too routine, as the lead ballooned to as large as 11. A Castilo net drop forced yet another Adamson error, and Ateneo grabbed the win, 21-10.

Trying to salvage even the slightest sliver of pride, Lady Falcon Lovely Sawada looked determined in the last singles match of the afternoon. Going up against a well-rested Lisa Encarnacion, the Adamson shuttler had little in her favor. Quick half smashes gave the Atenean an early lead, which she would eventually relinquish due to errors. Despite a perfectly constructed point to score her 13th of the game, the lead was too great and Encarnacion lost the first, 15-21. The second game featured a role reversal as Encarnacion played flawlessly while Sawada couldn’t keep the shuttle in play, with the Lady Shuttler coming out on top, 21-7.

Not wanting to be shutout, Sawada started the deciding game with more aggressiveness, and Encarnacion looked every bit frustrated, going into the break seven points down. With the Lady Falcon up 16-8, Encarnacion put her foot down and elevated her play immensely. Racking up 12 straight points, the Atenean now had four match points at 20-16. A couple of points later, and the Blue and White would sweep the rubber, as Sawada sent a drive out of bounds to end the game in Encarnacion’s favor, 21-17.

ADMU vs. DLSU

The most heated rivalry in the collegiate basketball ranks, between Ateneo and De La Salle University (DLSU), invaded the badminton courts on August 14, as the Lady Shuttlers faced off against the La Salle Lady Archers.

Not having beaten their Taft- based opponents in the past seven years, and after being swept 5-0 in last year’s matchup, the Lady Shuttlers’ 3-2 defeat of the De La Salle Lady Archers could have not come at a better time. The momentous win not only ends the seven-year drought, but extends the Lady Shuttlers’ record to a commanding 4-0 record.

Gelita Castilo registered the Lady Shuttlers’ first win, beating Danica San Ignacio 21-18, 21-15. Castilo and San Ignacio’s alternating offensive exchanges kept the score close, with the lead switching amongst the shuttlers three times midway through the first game, leveling at 13 points apiece. San Ignacio’s explosive drives and smashes hindered Castilo from breaking away. Nevertheless, Castilo’s ability to read her foe’s movement proved to be the game changer, as her superior shot-placing abilities gave her the 18-17 lead, en route to the 21-18 first game victory.

However, San Ignacio’s intensity didn’t die down going into the second game, still keeping in striking distance of Castilo midway through the game at 12-10. Yet, it became obvious that San Ignacio struggled with returning the Castilo’s drives and smashes, as the Atenean broke away, 18-15. Castilo’s composure during play and precision net plays, most notably a confidence boosting hairpin drop shot which nipped the net, got her the win at 21-15.

Hard-hitting Lady Shuttler rookie Dia Magno then faced UAAP veteran and former league MVP Deska Calimlim in what ended in a 7-21, 9-21 loss for Magno. Possessing, arguably, the hardest hitting arm among the Ateneo shuttlers, it would’ve been a fair assumption that Magno could discard of Calimlim. Unfortunately, the Lady Archer got the better of Magno, feeding her a series of low drives and crosscourt drop shots and lobs. Calimlim easily swept Magno in two games.

Magno’s annihilation was then followed by the defeat of Mikee Roxas and Castilo at the hands of Danica Bolos and Calimlim, 21-18, 12-21, 8-21. In the first game, Roxas and Castilo put on a smashing show, amidst some confusion among the La Salle pair on their defensive strategies, grabbing the 21-18 win. However, Roxas and Castilo were marred with forced errors in the second and third games, as a great number of the pair’s parries found the net. Bolos and Calimlim were also able to get their defensive act together, and intensified their attack, overwhelming Roxas with an array of drives and smashes. The La Salle pair gave the green side 2-1 match lead in the tie.

Carla Lizardo and Magno were given the mandate to bounce back for the Lady Shuttlers in order to force a deciding fifth match. True enough, Lizardo and Magno were able to overcome Ramos and San Ignacio, winning 11-21, 21-16, 21-17, asserting a 2-2 tie.

The Ateneo duo dropped the first game 11-21, as a result of some defensive mishaps and, as in the previous match, a substantial amount of returns finding the net. However, the ladies in blue were able to recover in the second and third games, and even intensified their offense, as smashing from both Lizardo and Magno overwhelmed the La Salle defense. San Ignacio also showed some signs of fatigue, having played the first singles match of the day, and was forced into numerous errors. Ultimately, Lizardo and Magno offensively outlasted a weakening La Salle pair in the last two games.

It was all up to Lisa Encarnacion to bring home the win for the Lady Shuttlers in her deciding match against Bolos. Encarnacion gained the early 5-2 lead, sending a mass of un-returnable drives Bolos’ way. But Bolos displayed some resistance, despite also showing signs of fatigue, and kept the score close in the later half of the game to close in at 19-19. However, the Lady Shuttler was able to pull away from Bolos through her trademark crosscourt drive, securing the one point lead at 20-19. Although Bolos was motivated to bring the game into a deuce situation, she stuck a sluggish high clear that was overpowered, and the shuttlecock landed in out territory—giving Encarnacion the 21-19 win.

The second game was reminiscent of the previous one, yet Encarnacion garnered a greater lead early on, ending the half at 11-5. Encarnacion was able to take advantage over her tiring counterpart, further extending the score to 15-5. Bolos then exacted a late game attack, which ultimately proved to be too little too late, as Encrnacion nabbed the win 21-14, ending the seven-year winless streak against the Lady Archers.

Right after capturing the win, Encarnacion was overwhelmed by emotions as an ecstatic Lady Shuttlers squad rushed after her in celebration.

In an interview with, a practically speechless Ateneo Coach Kennie Asuncion said, “After seven years… after seven years that’s the only time we’ve beat them, it’s been a long wait and it was worth it.”

There’s no doubt the Ateneo Lady Shuttlers are in dominating form, but at 4-0 and halfway through the season, what else is there?

“We hope to beat everyone else, we made a statement last week and were not going to let that go easily. Not at all,” said a teary-eyed Encarnacion.

Team Standings: