THE ATENEO Blue and Lady Eagles ended their respective campaigns on day 7 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Table Tennis tournaments on Friday, October 12 at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Human Kinetics Gym in Quezon City.
The Blue Eagles registered identical 1-3 losses against the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons and the UP Fighting Maroons. Meanwhile, the Lady Eagles turned things around after being defeated by the UP Lady Maroons, 1-3, with a 3-1 win against the University of the East (UE) to end their season.
Blue Eagles
A strong attacking display from AdU’s Isaac Eneria in the first singles match hurdled him past Blue Eagle Mark Parman in straight sets 7-11, 8-11, 14-16. The second match was tightly contested between Carlo Chua and AdU’s John Michael Lagorra. The two battled in a five-set thriller, but Chua ultimately came out on top, 13-15, 11-6, 11-4, 6-11, 11-8.
With the team-tie score at one match apiece, the Blue Eagle tandem of Team Captain Andre Rondolo and James Somontina tried to carry over the momentum as they faced AdU pair Devin Coraza and Christian Balanquit. The Soaring Falcons however, flew higher than the Blue Eagles to take the straight-set victory, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7.
All eyes then turned to Bailey Acidera in hopes of salvaging a victory for the Blue Eagles against Adamson’s Paolo Monforte. Despite his best efforts, however, Acidera too fell in straight sets, 7-11, 4-11, 4-11.
In the afternoon’s matches, Somontina took over in the first singles match against UP’s Paulo Lamayan. The veteran came back from a two-set deficit to extend the match to a fifth set where he ran out of gas, dropping the match, 3-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9, 6-11. Somontina was avenged when Parman grabbed the team’s sole victory in the tie with a straightforward 11-3, 11-4, 11-5 win against Juan Miguel Santelices.
[Second Men’s Singles]
Well that was quick!
Mark Parman puts an exclamation to his outstanding rookie season with a swift three set sweep!
Ateneo evens the scoreboard.
Match Score: Ateneo 3 UP 0
Team tie score: Ateneo 1 UP 1#UAAPTableTennis pic.twitter.com/6LrakZ6Sby— Jag L. Dagelet (@Jag_TheGUIDON) October 12, 2018
Edric Carlos and Rondolo put up a valiant effort, but ultimately lost out against their UP counterparts, Al Salloman and Judah Cagas, 5-11, 9-11, 12-14. Chua was not able to extend the tie in the third singles match as he lost out against Gimo Rivera, 13-15, 8-11, 7-11 in the Blue Eagles’ last match this season, dropping the team to a 3-11 win-loss record in the tournament.
Despite the loss and their last place finish in the tourney, the Blue Eagles can hold their heads high. Season 81 will be remembered as the team’s breakthrough year as their three wins broke a losing skid that stretched back since 2012 and defeated the De La Salle Green Archers for the first time in years.
Lady Eagles
The Lady Eagles opened day 7 against the UP Lady Maroons for the second episode of the Battle of Katipunan. Geque Carado opened the proceedings by battling Lady Fighting Maroon Celine Fabian. Carado took the last three sets, 8-11, 12-14, 11-1, 14-12, 11-9, to shock Fabian in the first singles match.
The Lady Eagles then sent Kat Bulaqueña into action against UP’s MC Capatan. They exchanged sets and engaged in a seesaw battle, ending with Bulaqueña on the losing side of a thrilling five-setter, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8, 2-11, 12-10.
Trina Cruz teamed up with Jane Dela Cruz in the doubles match in search of a win. However, the pair lost in straight sets against the UP duo of Jade Garcia and Lyra Duro, 12-14, 4-11, 6-11. Team Captain Hellari Calvo tried to turn things around but also fell short versus Lady Maroon Felliane Labian, 8-11, 4-11, 11-13.
After the loss, the Lady Eagles were looking to end the season strong against the UE Lady Warriors. Bulaqueña breezed through the first singles match in straight sets, 11-2, 11-8, 11-5. Dela Cruz, however, was on the opposite side of a similar straight set affair, 6-11, 6-11, 8-11, versus Celine Vasquez.
Highlighted by a 10-0 run in the third set, Angela Calvo and Cruz’s four set victory, 11-5, 6-11, 11-1, 11-9, gave Ateneo the advantage in the tie. Tasked with grabbing the third win, Carado suited up against Mary Garrucho.
[Women’s Doubles]
10 straight points to open the set from Angela Calvo and Trina Cruz completely tear apart the 1-1 matchup knot!
Match Score: Ateneo 2 UE 1#UAAPTableTennis pic.twitter.com/c3Vtq95iLh
— Jag L. Dagelet (@Jag_TheGUIDON) October 12, 2018
The Lady Eagle looked poised to win the match after taking the first two sets, 11-3, 11-9, however, Garrucho took the next two sets, 7-11, 8-11, paving the way for a nervy finish to the season. In a gusty fifth-set performance, Carado came out on top, 12-10, to ensure the Lady Eagles ended the season on a high note.
[Third Women’s Singles]
Carado overcomes the deficit to snatch the final set 12-10 for the Lady Eagles!
Ateneo wins!!!
Match Score: Ateneo 3 UE 2
Team tie score: Ateneo 3 UE 1#UAAPTableTennis pic.twitter.com/zZXMRf7qIT— Jag L. Dagelet (@Jag_TheGUIDON) October 12, 2018
The win hands the Lady Eagles a 5-9 record to finish at sixth place in the tournament, displaying a remarkable improvement since their two-win turnout last season. With an influx of rookies that performed valiantly throughout the campaign, both the Blue and Lady Eagles are on the path to further success.
Team-tie Scores:
Blue Eagles
Ateneo-AdU: 1-3
First Men’s Singles (Parman vs Eneria): 7-11, 8-11, 14-16
Second Men’s Singles (Chua vs Lagorra): 13-15, 11-6, 11-4, 6-11, 11-8
First Men’s Doubles (Somontina and Rondolo vs Coraza and Balanquit): 4-11, 6-11, 7-11
Third Men’s Singles (Acidera vs Monforte): 7-11, 4-11, 4-11
Ateneo-UP: 1-3
First Men’s Singles (Somontina vs Lamayan): 3-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9, 6-11
Second Men’s Singles (Parman vs Santelices): 11-3, 11-4, 11-5
First Men’s Doubles (Carlos and Rondolo vs Salloman and Cagas): 5-11, 9-11, 12-14
Third Men’s Singles (Chua vs Rivera): 13-15, 8-11, 7-11
Lady Eagles
Ateneo-UP: 1-3
First Women’s Singles (Carado vs Ching): 8-11, 12-14, 11-1, 14-12, 11-9
Second Women’s Singles (Bulaqueña vs Capatan): 8-11, 12-10, 11-8, 2-11, 12-10
First Women’s Doubles (Cruz and Dela Cruz vs Garcia and Duro): 12-14, 4-11, 6-11
Third Women’s Singles (H. Calvo vs Labian): 8-11, 4-11, 11-13
Ateneo-UE: 3-1
First Women’s Singles (Bulaqueña vs Sedomo): 11-2, 11-8, 11-5
Second Women’s Singles (Dela Cruz vs Vasquez): 6-11, 6-11, 8-11
First Women’s Doubles (A. Calvo and Cruz vs Vague and Abello): 11-5, 6-11, 11-1, 11-9
Third Women’s Singles (Carado vs Garrucho): 11-3, 11-9, 7-11, 8-11, 12-10
