THE SCORCHING-HOT Ateneo Blue Eagles took down the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Lady Shuttlers, 4-1, in a fierce showdown earlier this afternoon at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in the City of Manila.
Today’s victory puts the Ateneo Women’s Badminton Team at a perfect 3-0 record in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 Women’s Badminton tournament.
Angel Valle opened the Sunday matchups for the Blue Eagles with her 2-0 victory over Lady Shuttler Lizzy Belen in the first singles match. The sophomore Atenean dictated the pace of the first set, scoring 12 straight rallies en route to a decisive 21-6 win. However, the Sampaloc-based athlete put up resistance in the following set, forcing Valle to a 1o-all deadlock in the opening stretch of the second frame. In firm response, Valle forced Belen into a series of faults with her powerful returns that ultimately decided the set, 21-14.
The second singles match called for Team Captain Mika De Guzman to go against UST’s Reshane Nicor. The multi-time UAAP champion showed off her offensive mastery, overwhelming the Thomasian to win the first set, 21-9. While she waxed hot in the early goings of the second set, De Guzman saw her 10-3 lead trimmed down to 15-11 as Nicor stormed back by matching the Atenean’s energy. Despite her opponent’s scoring run, the Blue Eagle skipper regained composure and denied the Lady Shuttler any chance of a comeback, 21-13, to put the Blue and White up 2-0 in team-ties.
Following this, Ateneo’s duo of Feeby Ferrer and Maxene Olango were tasked to face off against UST’s pair of Patricia De Leon and Marielle Alvarez in doubles action. The Blue Eagles kept the Lady Shuttlers at bay throughout the first set, leading to a 21-14 win. However, the España duo put up a gutsy display of heart to win the next two sets, 21-17 and 21-19, giving Ateneo their only second team-tie loss of Season 87.
Looking to exact revenge for the Blue Eagles, De Guzman returned to action alongside Missy Cervantes in the second doubles match to take on Jennifer Saladaga and Rhafi Santos in a dramatic three-set thriller. The Atenean duo started flat out of the gates, failing to get through Saladaga and Santos’ defense in a stunning 17-21 first-set loss. Determined to get back into the game, Ateneo dominated the second set through reinvigorated speed and energy, 21-5.
With a Final Four bid within striking distance for Ateneo, De Guzman and Cervantes tussled against the UST duo in a grueling deciding set that saw neither team gaining a sizable advantage. Midway through the set, an intense and lengthy rally ended with an Atenean score that broke the tie and put the Blue Eagles ahead, 16-15. After an extended sequence of both teams trading blows, De Guzman returned a tough smash to capture the set and seal the overall win, 21-18, handing Ateneo a ticket to the semifinals.
In the final singles match that formalized the game’s outcome, Blue Eagle Rookie Althea Ocampo made quick work of Lady Shuttler Patricia De Leon in a 2-0 rout. The Blue Eagle put together firm stops on any of UST’s rallies to win the first set comfortably, 21-10. A late-game run from De Leon in the second set failed to faze Ocampo, who closed the match, 21-15, and capped the final team-tie score at 4-1.
The Blue Eagles look to remain spotless as they take on the National University Lady Bulldogs on Saturday, October 26, at 1:00 PM in the same venue.
Team-tie Score:
Ateneo-UST: 4-1
Results:
First Singles: Valle (Ateneo) def. Belen (UST), 21-6, 21-14
Second Singles: De Guzman (Ateneo) def. Nicor (UST), 21-9, 21-13
First Doubles: De Leon & Alvarez (UST) def. Ferrer & Olango (Ateneo), 14-21, 21-17, 21-19
Second Doubles: De Guzman & Cervantes (Ateneo) def. Saladaga & Santos (UST), 17-21, 21-5, 21-18
Third Singles: Ocampo (Ateneo) def. De Leon (UST), 21-10, 21-15
Current Standings (W-L):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (3-0)
- UP Fighting Maroons (3-0)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (2-1)
- UST Lady Shuttlers (1-2)
- AdU Lady Falcons (0-3)
- DLSU Lady Shuttlers (0-3)
