THE ATENEO lady shuttlers defeated their University of the East (UE) counterparts in five straight matches (5-0) on Wednesday, September 21 2016 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

This win puts the Lady Eagles at 2-1 win-loss record in the University of Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season following their season opener defeat to University of the Philippines (UP) and their 5-0 thumping of Far Eastern University (FEU).

Samantha Ramos was lined up for the Ateneo in their first singles game against UE’s Lyra Rosal, eager to continue her fine form. Though she conceded the first point of the match, Ramos fought hard with quick and aggressive movement to earn an early five-point lead (8-3). A series of unforced errors meant the Lady Eagle would go into the interval with a slim lead (11-10) but she purposefully improved her performance after the short break. Mainly relying on a lob-drop shot combination, Ramos was able to push ahead of Rosal, eventually claiming the set with a score of 21-13. The second set told a similar story, with Ramos conceding the first point of the set but fighting back to earn an early lead (11-4). Exuding confidence from a one-set advantage, Ramos pushed to finish the game as soon as possible, exhibiting trickery and speed to claim the first win of the day for the lady shuttlers (21-12)

Lady shuttlers captain Bianca Carlos was chosen to play the second singles game of the day against UE’s Heide Rosal. From the first point played, it was clear that the Blue and White’s captain was in complete control of the game. Carlos claimed point after point with unforgiving down-the-line smashes and perfectly executed drop shots, cruising to an unbelievable 10-point lead at the interval (11-1). The end of the interval saw Carlos continuing her demolition, claiming the first set with a massive score of 21-2. The second set saw no difference as Carlos once again dominated to claim a second successive set with the score of 21-1. Conceding only a total of three points, Carlos furthered Ateneo’s advantage in the team-tie (2-0).

Sisters Jana De Vera and Geva De Vera faced Red Warriors Erycila and Fernandez in the first doubles of the day, with the intention of claiming a team-tie victory with their match. The early stages of the game saw a number of exchanges in services among the two teams, with the De Vera duo pulling narrowly ahead before the interval (8-6). After a quick discussion with their coaches, the sisters began to find their groove, conceding only five points as they won the first set. One set away from a team-tie victory, the De Vera sisters darted away to victory, winning an early lead before the interval (10-3) and continuing on to win the second set (21-8).

The second doubles match featured Lady Eagles Chanelle Lunod and Shawntel Nieto against Heide and Lyra Rosal. While Nieto claimed several points from her net kills, the Red Warriors still managed to keep the set within reach, trailing by a meager three points at the first set interval (11-8). Keen on dominating their counterparts, the Blue and White tandem chose a more aggressive approach to the defensive UE duo to win the first set comfortably (21-13). Initial stages of the second set saw the game to be tense affair, but Nieto and Lunod managed to overcome the Rosal duo to claim yet another two-set victory for the Ateneo.

The last match of the day saw Trixie Malibiran step up against Labay. The Lady Eagle kept composure and calmness, despite trailing in the early stages. A run of consecutive points until the interval saw Malibiran take an eight-point lead (11-3) and the lady shuttler built on this momentum, defeating Labay by 11 points in the first set (21-10). Malibiran continued her dismantling of Labay in the second set, only conceding six points as she claimed the tenth consecutive set win of the day and the match win for the Lady Eagles.

Team Captain Bianca Carlos, beaming with happiness from the wins, had nothing else but praise for the team. “I’m very happy that we’re all performing well, especially these last two days that we’ve won 5-0 [in the team-ties],” exclaims Carlos. “I’m super happy that the team’s very united, the doubles pairings are good and the singles players are good, everyone’s performing well.”

Their next game will be against National Univeristy (NU), 1 pm, Saturday, September 24 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.