IN A classic replay of their Season 74 Final Four victory, the Ateneo Lady Shuttlers bested the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Shuttlers, 3-2, at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Sports Complex (RMSC) Badminton Hall on Saturday, August 11.
Sophomore Dia Magno started the festivities for coach Kennie Asuncion’s squad in the first singles match. Magno’s slow start allowed Katherine Mayono to build an early 3-10 advantage. Magno eventually found her rhythm and tied the game at 16 apiece. It was neck and neck until the end, but Mayono drew first blood with a close 21-19 victory.
Magno carried over her rhythm to the second game as she raced to an early 6-0 lead. This time, however, it was Mayono who found a way back into the game for another down-to-the-wire encounter.
Magno found herself at game point after gaining a 20-19 edge. A controversial call would soon follow as Mayono’s shot sailed outside the back boundary line. The officials, however, deemed the shot valid and within the playing court. The Ateneo crowd was in uproar when the shot was announced to be valid since it allowed FEU to tie the game at 20-all. Mayono eventually won, 23-21 to put FEU ahead 1-0 in the team tie.
Reigning UAAP Women’s Rookie of the Year Gelita Castilo made quick work of her opponent Jennifer Cayetano to peg the team tie at 1-1. After an early 9-all deadlock, Castilo built a comfortable margin to take away the first game, 21-15. Her second game was even more convincing as she held Cayetano to single digits and secured a 21-9 victory to claim the second match of the afternoon.
The third match of the day saw Magno team up with rookie Jana De Vera for the first doubles event of the team tie. FEU struck first, taking the first game, 21-14. The second game featured another close meeting with the teams tied at 17 in the late stages.
FEU’s Clarissa Pascual launched an errant serve that allowed Ateneo to break away for the win and set up a deciding third game. Magno and De Vera took care of business in the final frame, winning 21-15 to put Ateneo ahead in the team tie for the first time, 2-1.
Senior Mikee Roxas paired up with Castilo for the final doubles match of the day. The duo dropped the first game, 13-21, then evened things up with an exciting 21-18 victory in the second game care of powerful play by Castilo. This time, however, FEU’s tandem of Mayono and Cayetano proved too much to handle as the ladies in blue succumbed, 13-21. FEU had tied the score at 2-2.
Entering a winner-take-all fifth match, Asuncion tapped rookie De Vera to represent Ateneo. The move showed just how much confidence Asuncion and assistant coach Alma Ledesma had in their prized recruit. De Vera’s teammates echoed their coaches’ sentiments as they encouraged her wholeheartedly from the bleachers. Asked whether she was nervous for her rookie teammate, veteran Shuttler Paula Filart quickly and confidently replied, “No, she’s got this!”
De Vera was outplayed by her counterpart in the first game, dropping it 12-21. The rookie, however, was down but not out. She bounced back in the second game with an early 6-0 lead went on to secure a 21-12 victory to even the score.
With a sudden death game in the fifth and final match, the crowds were up on their feet. The game would be close all throughout with several changes taking place until the score was all knotted up at 12. Both players kept things close and the game was in doubt until the very end. Nevertheless, De Vera, who was already fighting fatigue, found another gear as the game went down to wire.
With the entire Blue and White crowd behind her and captain Lisa Encarnacion proudly screaming “That’s my rookie!”, De Vera capped off her storybook UAAP debut when she found an opening near the net for a shot that was out of her opponent’s reach. This shot clinched the win for Ateneo.
Earlier in the day, the champion Blue Shuttlers defeated archrival De La Salle, 3-2.
This win puts both Ateneo teams at 1-0 in the standings and was a perfect way to kick-start their Season 75 campaign. Both teams will be back at it tomorrow, August 12, at the RMSC Badminton Hall as they face University of Santo Tomas to close out the opening weekend. The men’s game is at 9:00 AM while the women’s game is at 1:00 PM.
