THE ATENEO Blue Eagles ended their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 campaign in second place after surrendering to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tiger Paddlers earlier today at the Makati Coliseum. This momentous feat doubles as the Blue and White’s first foray into the finals, as well as their first-ever UAAP podium finish.
First Game
Andrew Uy commenced the Blue and White’s first singles bout of the day with straight-set losses against UST’s Alvin Sevilla, 3-11, 11-13, 8-11. While the Blue Eagle elevated the second set with a more aggressive play style, his efforts fell just short of containing the Tiger Paddler.
Blue Eagle Mahendra Cabrido followed up with a second singles loss to Eljey Tormis, 1-4. Although Cabrido was able to make a set three comeback, 11-5, he struggled to reclaim the last two sets, handing UST the second team-tie point.
Heading into the first doubles standoff, the main Ateneo tandem of Zherdel Fresco and Sean Uy showed promise of a win, winning the first set against Tiger Paddlers Paul Garcia and Al J Sanchez, 13-11. Despite trailing closely behind the Thomasian duo in the remaining sets, 5-11, 10-12, 9-11, UST eventually managed to fend Fresco and S. Uy off.
Second Game
Game 2 started shortly after with a different lineup for Ateneo. Mahendra Cabrido opened the game for the Blue and White against UST’s Sevilla. The two athletes went on a back-and-forth affair during the match, with no one backing down. After three sets, Cabrido was on a deficit but an impressive victory in the fourth set forced a decider fifth set.
[First Singles]
— Juno Reyes (@Juno_TheGUIDON) November 26, 2022
Cabrido equalizes Ateneo and UST’s chances at taking the first team tie point as he clinches set four, 11-7.
Match Score: Ateneo 2 UST 2#UAAPTableTennis @TheGUIDONSports pic.twitter.com/Zya7eVot1E
In the last set, Cabrido was down in the middle of the match, 6-10. Undeterred, Cabrido launched a 5-0 run to inch away from match point, 11-10. However Sevilla closed the match strong and claimed the team tie score for UST, 12-14.
After a close first match between Ateneo and UST, the second match completely favored the Tiger Paddlers. Wrency Abad showed valiant efforts throughout the battle, but UST’s Eljey Tormis won in three sets.
Following this, Atenean rookie S. Uy and Team Captain Mark Parman were set to suit up for the doubles match. Matched up against UST’s Garcia and Sanchez, the Ateneo duo fell in the first set, 5-11. The Blue and White attempted a comeback in the second set, but fell short, 9-11.
With their season on the line, Ateneo made a valiant comeback effort, yet ultimately faltered against UST in the third set, 8-11.
Charging into UAAP Season 85 with a roster composed almost entirely of rookies, Assistant Coach Mihali Crisostomo expressed satisfaction for the season’s outcome. The team soared up the ranks from being in last place in Season 82.
“This is years and years in the making. I’m proud of the team and the way they played and came together,” said Crisostomo. “No one really expected us to go this far, so I’m very happy with their performance. Although we wanted to win the championship, we’re content with how we performed, and we’re ready to get back into training to prepare for next year.”
Game 1 – Set Scores (Ateneo-UST): Ateneo – 0, UST – 3
First Men’s Singles (A. Uy vs. Sevilla): 3-11, 11-13, 8-11
Second Men’s Singles (Cabrido vs. Tormis): 8-11, 5-11, 11-5, 5-11
First Men’s Doubles (S. Uy and Fresco vs. Garcia and Sanchez): 13-11, 5-11, 10-12, 9-11
Game 2 – Set Scores (Ateneo-UST): Ateneo – 0, UST – 3
First Men’s Singles (Cabrido vs. Sevilla): 8-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 12-14
Second Men’s Singles (Abad vs. Tormis): 7-11, 7-11, 7-11
First Men’s Doubles (S. Uy and Parman vs. Garcia and Sanchez): 5-11, 9-11, 8-11
