THE ATENEO Women’s Badminton team ended their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Badminton campaign placing second runner-up after a heartbreaking loss to De La Salle University (DLSU).
The closely-fought battle spanned all five games resulting in a 2-3 outcome on Saturday, October 14, at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
After a victory against DLSU the day before to erase the Lady Archers’ twice-to-beat advantage, the Lady Eagles gave themselves a chance to set up a finals rematch against UP in this win-or-go-home situation, putting up an unreserved battle till the end.
Starting the match was veteran Lady Shuttler Bianca Carlos, who faced Iyah Sevilla for the first singles match. Carlos dominated both sets at 21-12 and 21-10, completing her five-year UAAP singles match undefeated streak and winning the first game to give Ateneo the initial advantage in the team-tie, 1-0.
However, the second singles game did not go as smoothly for the Blue and White. Panning full sets, team captain Cassie Lim faced Arianne Rivera in a clash that would either give Ateneo a strong advantage or allow DLSU to level the contest.
The first set saw Lim plagued with unforced errors as she struggled to keep up with Rivera who put up a volley of smashes, 14-21. Not willing to let her team down, the Lady Eagle captain bounced back in the second set, outclassing her rival and ending the set with a cross court smash, 21-19. The third set, however, saw Lim commit many of her mistakes allowing Rivera to pull ahead in the final stretch of the set and ultimately ending the game with two consecutive smashes, 16-21.
With the team-tie at a deadlock, 1-1, the match headed into the first doubles match seeing Lady Eagles Geva De Vera and Trixie Malibiran face off against the DLSU duo of Alyssa Leonardo and national team mainstay Nicole Albo.
After ending the interval of the first set at a close disadvantage, 9-11, the Eagle twosome were shot down by the powerful barrage of smashes from the Lady Archers who took the set, 13-21. The Lady Eagle pair put up another strong fight after going into the second set interval at 10-11, answering DLSU back with their own smashes. However, their opponents eventually came out ahead playing the same moves, 16-21 putting the team-tie to a DLSU advantage at 1-2.
In an ultimate do-or-die situation, Ateneo deployed their powerhouse duo of singles specialist Bianca Carlos and Season 79 Rookie of The Year Chanelle Lunod to face Lindsay Tercias and Iyah Sevilla for the second doubles game. The Blue and White cruised passed the first set at 21-9. Compared to that, their second set was disastrous as multiple errors riddled their game as Lady Archers started landing their attacks to give them the set this time, 18-21.
Playing a make-or-break third set, the duo gathered their composure to dominate the Lady Archers with Carlos making service aces and Lunod forcing DLSU errors to keep the Lady shuttlers alive at the end of the set, 21-12, and forcing a fifth game with the team-tie now even at 2-2.
Hoping to bring Ateneo to the finals with another win against DLSU, yesterday’s heroine Trixie Malibiran challenged national player Nicole Albo in the third singles game.
The first set saw Albo show why she represents the country with plays that pushed the Lady shuttler to go all out. Malibiran was at a marginable disadvantage after the interval at 6-11, The Lady Eagle fought courageously to try to force the Lady Archer to tire out in order to cut the lead, but Albo did not budge ultimately ending the set at 12-21.
With the entire Ateneo campaign on her shoulders, the valiant Lady shuttler braved the second set with full-hearted plays to cut the game close at the interval at 8-11. However, Albo forced multiple errors on the gallant Eagle and the match concluded after a fiery rally had ended with Malibiran being pressed to hit outside, 21-12.
A hard-fought third place finish concluded the Lady Eagles’ Season 80 UAAP Women’s Badminton run after a full blown tract against DLSU.
“I’m very proud of the entire team because it wasn’t easy to get into the Final Four,” said Ateneo Head Coach Kennie Asuncion-Robbles. “We had a lot of tough matches and we came from below going up, so it was really all hard-fought and I have nothing but praises for my players.”
Match Score
Ateneo 2 DLSU 3
Set Scores
First Women’s Singles (Bianca Carlos vs. Iyah Sevilla): 21-12, 21-10
Second Women’s Singles (Cassie Lim vs. Arianne Rivera): 14-21, 21-19, 16-21
First Women’s Doubles: (Geva De Vera and Trixie Malibiran vs. Alyssa Leonard and Nicole Albo): 13-21, 16-21
Second Women’s Doubles: (Bianca Carlos and Chanelle Lunod vs. Lindsay Tercias and Iyah Sevilla): 21-9, 18-21, 21-12
Third Women’s Singles: (Trixie Malibiran vs. Nicole Albo): 12-21, 12-21
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