Photo by Alexandra L. Huang

EXACTING REVENGE against the defending champion University of the East, for a heartbreaking loss in the finals of Season 74, and ending the elimination round of Season 75 with 7-0 slate was not enough for the Ateneo Lady Shuttlers.

What they wanted, more than anything, was the crown. And on Sunday, September 9, the Lady Shuttlers seized the elusive title after mopping up Far Eastern University (FEU), 3-2, in Game Two of the UAAP Women’s Badminton Finals at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC) Badminton Hall.

Coming into the championship rounds with a thrice-to-beat advantage, the Lady Shuttlers swept FEU, 2-0, following a similar 3-2 win last Saturday, to finish the season with a perfect 9-0 card and claim the trophy that was denied them last year.

The 2011 Rookie of the Year Gelita Castilo first etched her name on this year’s champion’s wall after taking on Kim Mayono.

Castilo broke away in the first game after trailing by four at 2-6. She exploded for a nine-point surge to claim an 11-6 lead going to the half-game break. Castilo then coaxed the game off the break to a 21-11 win for a one-game edge.

Still dictating the tempo early in the second frame, Castilo sailed to a quick 6-2 spread, but FEU’s Mayono would reduce her lead to two halfway. Mayono whittled the Atenean’s lead and limited the latter to only three points to snatch the second game at 21-14.

But Castilo wouldn’t allow her perfect record to be stained. The sophomore underlined her 21-9 third game romp of Mayono with a 12-1 midgame run behind nifty crosscourt slices and baseline drops. The Lady Shuttler did not lose any singles match this season.

Coach Kennie Asuncion seemed to have employed a different strategy for the day as Dia Magno came in next for the second singles match—her first for Season 75.

Similar to Castilo, Magno initially lagged behind Jennifer Cayetano, 2-6, and then overtook the latter with a slim lead, 11-10, going into the midgame break.

The game evened at 16-all after a hit by Cayetano cruised out of the court. Magno then turned to crosscourt attacks to give her the first game at 21-19. Cayetano, however, took the second game for herself, 21-13, to force a decider.

The two shuttlers entwined early in the third chapter, but the Morayta-based side widened the gap to four at 11-7 midway. Five consecutive points from Cayetano off the break only made it harder for Magno to get back.

But Magno wouldn’t let the game slip off her hands that easily. She mounted a 10-1 surge to post a 17-all standoff. But that run was wasted as three consecutive errors from the Lady Shuttler gave the Tamaraws its first match of the day.

Despite the loss, Magno was not yet done. She then teamed up with Castilo to form the Philippine Badminton Ranking System best doubles tandem against FEU’s Dionisio and Pascual. The Magno–Castilo team-up manhandled Dionisio and Pascual for a 21-10, 21-8 slaughter to regain the lead.

But FEU’s Mayono and Cayetano teamed up for second doubles match against Ateneo’s Jaimee Calacday and team captain Lisa Encarnacion. The FEU duo just saw right through Ateneo’s defense and landed their shuttles on wide openings on the blue side to even the team tie at 2-all and send Game Two into a deciding fifth match.

At this point, Asuncion sent in her trusted rookie superstar Jana De Vera to play the crucial match.

The prized recruit from Trace College in Laguna came in all fueled up. De Vera drilled her smashes early and gave FEU a hint of how tricky her crosscourt deliveries can be, as she navigated to a 7-2 lead. Her Tamaraw counterpart would try to close in, but the Atenean had the upper hand at 11-7 towards the half-game break.

The Lady Shuttler had no trouble after the break as FEU practically gave the first game away through a series of shuttles that sailed out of bounds. This placed De Vera on top, 1-0, with a 21-15 triumph.

Both sides went neck and neck in the second game. Nine deadlocks highlighted the first half of the second frame. FEU was up by a marker halfway, but the contest would level four more times off the break for a total of 13 deadlocks—the last at 14-all.

The Atenean earned two points after that deadlock, but FEU answered with a smash to stay within reach at 16-15. Then, the rookie phenomenon finally took out her trump card.

De Vera surprised the Lady Tamaraw with a drop return off the service for her 17th marker and then dragged the latter to committing two outside hits. In between, she flicked a baffling crosscourt hit that would be too far from FEU’s reach.

Now just a point away, and with the rest of the Lady Shuttlers teeming with anticipation, De Vera allowed a final point for FEU then hustled another outside shuttle to give Ateneo the coveted UAAP Season 75 Women’s Badminton title.

“She’s been playing really well the entire season. Yes, there might be some games where she would a little off, but it’s always just a little. So I [saw] no reason of not trusting her to claim the win,” said Asuncion of her highly regarded rookie. “We have been eyeing for this one even before the season began, and they really showed they wanted it more.”

Meanwhile, the Blue Shuttlers would be returning to the RMSC Badminton Hall for the third round of the Men’s Finals on Wednesday, September 12. The series is currently tied at 1-1 after the Blue Shuttlers dropped a 2-3 loss Sunday morning.