THE ATENEO Men’s Table Tennis Team solidified their strong presence in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 Men’s Table Tennis Tournament by earning two wins and incurring one loss earlier today at the Makati Coliseum.
There, the Blue and White faced the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tiger Paddlers, Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, and De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Paddlers.
UST Tiger Paddlers
For their first match of the day, the Blue Eagles clashed with the mighty UST Tiger Paddlers, bowing out after a tough 0-3 sweep.
Starting for Ateneo, Mahendra Cabrido was unsuccessful in obtaining a team-tie point in the first Men’s Singles match against Alvin Sevilla, 0-3. In the second bout, Blue Eagle Wrency Abad managed to overpower UST’s Eljay Tormis to take the first set but was ultimately outclassed, 1-3. Despite their efforts at redeeming the previous losses, gaps in defense plagued Zherdel Fresco and Sean Uy, as Sanchez and de Leon swiftly dealt with the Katipunan-based pair, 0-3.
AdU Soaring Falcons
Determined to make a comeback, the Blue Eagles were instilled with a fighting spirit that allowed them to power through a grueling 3-2 showdown against the Soaring Falcons.
While Cabrido exhibited a more aggressive playstyle this time around, the Blue Eagle’s fervor was not enough to handle Jed Villaviray, giving the first point to AdU at 2-3.
Andrew Uy granted Ateneo their first win of the day after toppling Soaring Falcon Warren Polido in a thrilling 3-2 match. Blue Eagles Fresco and S. Uy looked to take advantage of the momentum as they faced AdU’s Paolo Monforte and Niko Pineda in the first Men’s double category. The Blue and White secured another team-tie point with Adamson giving up costly errors, 3-1.
Eager to secure another win, an uncharacteristically frazzled Mark Parman surrendered to Amiel Aroma, 0-3, as the Ateneo veteran was unable to keep his composure in the high-pressure third single’s match. Blue Eagle Abad was left to deal the final blow as AdU’s Jhon Balucos was swiftly dealt with, 3-0.
DLSU Green Paddlers
In the final match of the day, Ateneo obtained their second win after defeating the DLSU Green Paddlers, 3-1.
Team Captain Parman found himself in another difficult match while facing DLSU’s Vince Remitio, obtaining the point after the intense battle, 3-2. Despite dropping a set, Cabrido stood his ground against Green Paddler Elijah Yamson, earning another point at 3-1. The Taft-based squad put a stop to Ateneo’s force as Archer Cadiogan and Josiah Espinosa nicked Fresco and S. Uy, 3-2, in favor of DLSU. Blue Eagle A. Uy finished off the day by putting a stop to DLSU’s Dino Marcelo with a 3-1 victory.
Following these victories, the Men’s Team earns their ticket to the Final Four and ends the elimination round with a 8-3 win-loss record—second out of eighth place in the overall standings.
The Blue Eagles head off to the Final Four of the UAAP Season 85 Men’s Table Tennis Tournament to be held from Friday to Saturday, November 25 to 26, at the Makati Coliseum.
