THE ATENEO Women’s Table Tennis Team concluded Days 5 and 6 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82 Women’s Table Tennis Tournament by racking up a series of victories. The Lady Eagles outlasted both the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors, 3-0, and the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws, 3-2, on Saturday, November 16. The team then tallied two more wins on Day 6 after defeating the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons, 3-2, and the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons, 3-1, on Sunday, November 17. All matches were held at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

Ateneo’s Kaela Aguilar stepped up to challenge UE’s Saldua in the first match of Day 5. The Lady Eagle dropped only one set before edging out Saldua in four sets, 11-7, 11-6, 4-11, 11-9. Angela Borbon and UE’s Vasquez went neck-and-neck in the next match as each player took two sets apiece. The deciding set was a heated affair, but Borbon finally broke away after five sets, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7.

The Doubles match featured a different Lady Eagle duo as Hellari Calvo and Geque Carado dueled Lady Warriors Abello and Dimaala. The Lady Eagles quickly took command of the first two sets, but the Lady Warriors responded with a third-set win. Fortunately, the Lady Eagles rode an early fourth-set lead straight towards the team-tie.

The afternoon proceedings of Day 5 first featured Aguilar soaring against FEU’s Yu. The Lady Eagle confidently overcame the Lady Tamaraw in straight sets, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6. Borbon came up next to face FEU’s Cañada and managed to tame the Lady Tamaraw in another sweep.

Down 2-0 in the team tie score, the Lady Tamaraws flipped the switch beginning with the Doubles match. Ateneo duo H. Calvo and Carado found themselves struggling as FEU’s Cruz and Mutuc secured the first two sets. Despite claiming sets three and four, the Lady Eagles conceded in five sets. Angela Calvo fought well against FEU’s Gabutin in the next match but was eventually grounded in four sets, 11-9, 8-11, 10-12, 8-11.

With the match on the line, Kath Bulaqueña led the fifth match charge for the Lady Eagles against FEU’s Prosia. Bulaqueña’s efforts did not go to waste as she held on to win in four sets, 11-6, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8.

The sixth match day began with the two rookies kicking things off for Ateneo. Aguilar took care of the first matchup against UP’s Camacho and bested her opponent in straight sets, 11-3, 11-4, 11-7. Borbon followed suit, making easy work of UP’s Royeca, also in straight sets.

However, UP turned the tide in the Doubles match as Lady Maroon’s Duro and Labian forced Lady Eagles H. Calvo and Carado to a series of errors and eventually won over the Ateneo pairing in five sets, 11-7, 7-11, 9-11, 13-11, 6-11. A. Calvo was dealt another loss by UP’s Capatan and surrendered in five sets, 11-5, 4-11, 11-5, 1-11, 7-11.

Bulaqueña was once again faced with the challenge of lifting the Lady Eagles to another victory as she took on UP’s Dayrit. The Lady Maroon took complete control over the first two sets, 5-11 and 3-11. With the game on the line for the Blue and White, Bulaqueña charged into battle and rallied off three straight victories, 11-5, 11-3, 11-6, finally securing the 3-2 team tie victory over the Lady Maroons. 

As the afternoon match began, Ateneo decided to field in a different lineup starting with A. Calvo, who was able to redeem herself against AdU’s Romaguera in four sets. Aguilar kept things running as she swept AdU’s Soriano to tally the second team-tie point. 

The Doubles lineup of H. Calvo and Nadine Uy could not secure the team-tie sweep as they were taken down by the AdU pairing of Baltazar and De Guzman in three sets. Fortunately enough, Angela Borbon cruised to a sweep and gave the Lady Eagles their final team-tie victory of the day.

The Lady Eagles’ final two matches of the elimination round will be held on Monday, November 18, at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. They will face the National University Lady Bulldogs at 8:00 AM, followed by a duel against the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses at 1:00 PM. 

Set Scores (Ateneo-UE): Ateneo 3 UE 0

First Women’s Singles (Aguilar vs. Saldua): 11-7, 11-6, 4-11, 11-9

Second Women’s Singles (Borbon vs. Vasquez): 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7

First Women’s Doubles (H. Calvo and Carado vs. Abello and Dimaala): 11-7, 11-7, 4-11, 11-7

Set Scores (Ateneo-FEU): Ateneo 3 FEU 2

First Women’s Singles (Aguilar vs. Yu): 11-8, 11-7, 11-6

Second Women’s Singles (Borbon vs. Cañada): 11-8, 12-10, 11-7

First Women’s Doubles (H. Calvo and Carado vs. Cruz and Mutuc): 11-13, 4-11, 12-10, 12-10, 6-11

Third Women’s Singles (A. Calvo vs. Gabutin): 11-8, 9-11, 10-12, 8-11

Fourth Women’s Singles (Bulaqueña vs. Prosia): 11-6, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8

Set Scores (Ateneo-UP): Ateneo 3 UP 2

First Women’s Singles (Aguilar vs. Camacho): 11-3, 11-4, 11-7

Second Women’s Singles (Borbon vs. Royeca): 11-7, 11-3, 11-3

First Women’s Doubles (H.Calvo and Carado vs. Duro and Labian): 11-7, 7-11, 9-11, 13-11, 6-11

Third Women’s Singles (A. Calvo vs Capatan): 11-5, 4-11, 11-5, 1-11, 7-11

Fourth Women’s Singles (Bulaqueña vs. Dayrit): 5-11, 3-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-6

Set Scores (Ateneo-AdU): Ateneo 3 AdU 1

First Women’s Singles (A. Calvo vs. Romaguera): 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6

Second Women’s Singles (Aguilar vs. Soriano): 11-2, 11-7, 11-8

First Women’s Doubles (H. Calvo and Uy vs. Baltazar and De Guzman): 12-14, 6-11, 7-11

Third Women’s Singles (A. Calvo vs Capatan): 11-5, 11-8, 11-6