IN THE fourth installment of their championship rivalry, the Ateneo Men’s Badminton Team succumbed to the National University (NU) Bulldogs in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 Men’s Badminton Finals, 0-3. The latest chapter in the Ateneo-NU title showdown was held earlier today at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in the City of Manila.

Despite the loss, the Blue Eagles bagged the silver trophy after finishing second overall.

Kicking off the morning’s festivities, Season 86 Rookie of the Year Lance Vargas squared up against NU’s Lanz Zafra in the first singles match. The opening set proved to be a game of runs with Zafra pulling away midway through off a 7-0 salvo, 16-9, only for Vargas to come up with his own 4-0 counter. However, with the set at 16-13, the Bulldog shifted gears and claimed the first frame, 21-15.

Still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained on Sunday, Vargas gave up an early 2-8 disadvantage despite claiming the first two points of the second set. With Zafra securing the upper hand throughout the contest, the Bulldogs bagged the first team-tie, 1-0, with a commanding 21-11 set victory.

Looking to even the team-tie, Team Captain Lyrden Laborte took on NU’s Mark Velasco in the day’s second singles match. It was a back-and-forth affair at the beginning of the first set, with both Laborte and Velasco making calculated smashes. Errors then befell both players approaching the halfway mark, 9-11. Returning to action, Velasco began to take control of the game’s tempo, leading Laborte to be on the defensive. With no response from the Blue Eagle, the Bulldog took the first set, 21-17.

The UAAP Season 86 Co-Most Valuable Player began the second set capitalizing on Velasco’s multiple errors in the lane and net, leading to a 4-4 deadlock. While committing miscues of his own, Laborte managed to build momentum and mount an 11-7 lead at the halfway point. From there, he continued to extend his advantage with an offensive barrage at the expense of Velasco’s continuous faults to take an assertive 21-12 victory in the second set.

With high stakes on the line, it was once again tight margins between both players in the third set. Laborte dug deep into his bag of tricks to keep it close to Velasco. With sheer grit and hustle, the Blue Eagle was in front at the half, 11-10. Following the break, both players had respective runs of their own, with crosscourt smashes and beautiful drop shots. In the end, however, three straight lane violations by Laborte ensured Velasco’s 21-18 victory to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead in the team-tie.

Looking to stay in the fight, Pingkoy Salvado and Vargas suited up to take on Zafra and Nestojan Tapales in the first doubles match. The Bulldogs immediately came out of the gates on the offensive, with Ateneo’s points in this period coming from Tapales’ faults.

The Blue Eagles eventually began to heat up and stay within striking distance for the set victory. Nearing the end of the set, Salvado rose to the occasion, executing a clutch smash to extend the first set, 20-20. As both teams went back and forth, the set ultimately ended in the Bulldogs’ favor after a miscommunication by both Vargas and Salvado, 23-21.

Needing a set victory to tie the match, the Blue and White came out guns blazing, taking advantage of NU’s faults to come out with an 11-9 lead. Riding their wave of momentum, the Atenean duo continued their offensive barrage, holding a lead as high as five at one point. Ultimately, Vargas’ net kill gave the Blue Eagles their second-set victory to stay in the fight, 21-17.

Despite a tight match to begin the crucial third frame, 4-4, the Bulldogs eventually pulled away with a 9-0 run, 13-4. Not backing down, however, the Blue Eagles began to trade blows with the Bulldogs, slowly chipping away at the deficit. At the 12-17 mark, Vargas came alive with electrifying plays to cut the deficit to as little as three, 15-18. The Blue Eagle’s comeback effort proved futile in the end as Zafra’s smash closed the door on Ateneo’s repeat bid, 21-17.

Following the conclusion of Season 87, long-time skipper Salvado shared his takeaways from today’s loss, underscoring the fight his squad showed amid the pressure of defending the crown.

“We gave it our all. But, we didn’t implant it in ourselves that we were defending champions, so that might be what we lacked. Regardless, we gave our best and I’m proud of that,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

With Salvado’s decision for Season 88 still uncertain, he expressed his confidence that the squad’s rising young stars will move forward with bigger confidence as they fill bigger roles in their road to redemption after this season.

Team-tie Score:

Ateneo-NU: 0-3

Results:

First Singles: Zafra (NU) def. Vargas (Ateneo), 21-15, 21-11

Second Singles: Velasco (NU) def. Laborte (Ateneo), 21-17, 12-21, 21-18

First Doubles: Zafra & Tapales (NU) def. Salvado & Vargas (Ateneo), 21-23, 21-17, 17-21