Swapping the Gold and White of Assumption College-San Lorenzo for the Blue and White of Ateneo, rookie shuttler Aly Roxas started off her Ateneo Badminton career in style, helping the Lady Eagles garner a bronze finish and earning the coveted Rookie of the Year (ROTY) award in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Women’s Badminton tournament.
While Roxas enjoyed a successful debut season, her transition from high school to the university level as Atenean student-athlete was far from easy. Roxas admits that balancing the increased academic workload and the lengthier training and competition hours were quite challenging.
“Balancing my academics while competing in the UAAP [is], no doubt, one of the most difficult challenges I’ve faced this year as a rookie,” she says.
The Lady Eagle also experienced a higher level of competition, playing in the UAAP and other national and international tournaments against nationally- and internationally-ranked players.
“There is no doubt that the difficulty level of games in the UAAP [is] way higher than in WNCAA (Women’s National Collegiate Athletics Association) or any other high school tournament. Each game [is] tough and crucial, [there are] no easy games,” she states.
Roxas claimed her sole UAAP victory this season over Jhayanne Macabenta of the Adamson University Lady Falcons in straight sets, 21-18, 21-7. Despite limited exposure in the premier collegiate tournament, she has competed in other prestigious tournaments such as the Frederick D. Go Cup 2017 last June 8 to 11, where she made the quarterfinals in the Women’s Singles division.
Despite a challenging start, Roxas persevered to make her first season in the Blue and White a successful one. She credits time management and sacrifice as the main factors to her success.
“Being a student-athlete is all about sacrifice. I had to put things aside and focus on my priorities–[academics and Badminton].”
Roxas also expresses her pleasure in representing Ateneo for the first time as she has learned that Badminton can be “a team sport in more ways than one.” The Season 80 ROTY saw the immense and effective support system that her teammates offered both on and off the court. The rookie praises the overwhelming amount of support she received from the community, especially from the team’s supporters–parents, families, and Ateneo fans–and the Blue Babble Battalion.
As the Lady Eagles prepare for the next season, Roxas will be looking to emulate the form that saw her claim the Season 80 ROTY award and help the Lady Eagles fly to greater heights.
