THE ATENEO lady shuttlers outplayed the Far Eastern University’s Lady Tamaraws, winning all five games of the team-tie (5-0) on Sunday, September 18 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
Eager to get back to winning after losing to University of the Philippines (UP) (1-4) in their University of Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season opener, this victory entitles Lady Shuttlers now hold a 1-1 record win-loss record in the competition.
Team Captain Bianca Carlos kicked-off the team-tie with her singles match against FEU’s Michal Duquilla. Carlos dominated early with several clear lob-drop shot plays, claiming a five-point lead just before the interval (11-6). Carlos then ran riot in the latter parts of the set, eventually claiming the first set (21-11). The second set opened with Dequilla successfully mounting more aggressive plays and Carlos found herself down at the interval (9-11). The lady shuttlers captain responded with an aggressive play of her own, frequently smashing rather than using her trademark lob-dropshot technique. Carlos then came out as the match winner after taking the lead and then the second set (21-17).
The second singles match featured Cassandra Lim against FEU’s Iris Molina. While Lim conceded the first point of the match to Molina and trailed for most of the game before the interval, she pushed to gain the advantage just before the interval, leading by two points (11-9). Lim and Molina inched their way to the 20-point mark with nothing to separate them, but after two consecutive deuces and a double set point in favor of Molina, Lim eventually claimed the first set. The second set saw the two exchange smashes and unforced errors, again resulting in a deuce at 20-all. Though Lim pushed to finish the match, an impressive dropshot by Molina pushed the tie to its third set (20-22). Lim set out to finish the game, garnering a five-point cushion (7-2) in the early stages of the match courtesy of some inspired smashes, and winning the set comfortably (21-12) to take the Blue and White to one match off from winning the team-tie.
The third match and first doubles match of the team-tie featured current team captain Bianca Carlos and former team captain Trixie Malibiran against Michal Duquilla and Maridel Rivera. From the very beginning, Malibiran and Carlos were the dominant duo, covering each other well and communicating perfectly. The first set interval took a five-point lead (11-6) and they eventually claimed the set 21-14. Though the Ateneo duo dropped some points due to unforced errors early in the second set, they quickly gained momentum to overtake FEU, who were up 11-12, to take the second set 21-15. The match win saw them defeat FEU in the team-tie with two games to play.
Looking to extend the lead, the fourth round featured sisters Jana and Geva De Vera. The tandem got off to a slow start, unable to build a large lead against FEU teammates Iris Molina and Klowie Garcia and conceded their lead ahead of the interval (10-11). As the game progressed, the De Vera sisters managed to exert their dominance with an inspired performance by J. De Vera to claim the first set. The two continued their excellent run into the new set, managing a 11-6 lead. FEU’s attempt at offensive play in the second set backfired as the De Vera’s took advantage and cruised into a comfortable 21-14 second set win.
The last and final match saw Samantha Ramos facing Maridel Rivera. From the get-go, Ramos was clearly the more commanding player, maintaining a three-point lead well into the mid-game (10-7). Ramos only added to this lead as the game progressed, managing a five-point lead (17-12) and finishing with a six-point margin (21-15). Ramos showcased her quality in the second set with point after point, pulling ahead by a whopping seven points (7-0). Late into the game, Rivera—who was made to run around by Ramos at every point— failed to return a perfectly executed drop by Ramos. The Ateneo singles player eventually won the second set with the largest point deficit of the day (21-9), claiming the fifth out of five wins for the Lady Eagles.
The 5-0 win for the Lady Eagles comes at the perfect time, after their season-opener loss to UP, boosting their confidence and morale ahead of their tie with the University of the East Red Warriors this coming Wednesday, September 21, at 1pm in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
