BUILDING ON their strong start from yesterday’s opening slate, the Ateneo Table Tennis Teams continued their impressive run in the second day of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Table Tennis Tournaments. Both men’s and women’s matches were held earlier today at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City.

The Men’s Team tallied split results in today’s fixtures, securing wins by sweeping both the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons and the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, 3-0, while falling to defending champion University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tiger Paddlers, 0-3.

On the other hand, the Women’s Team conquered the AdU Soaring Falcons, 3-0 and the UST Lady Paddlers, 3-2, but succumbed to the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, 3-2. With these results, the Men’s Team improves to a 5-1 win-loss record while the Women’s Team will move on with a 4-2 win-loss card.

Men’s Table Tennis

8:00 AM match vs UST

Despite going undefeated in day one, the Blue Eagles hit an early roadblock in day two against the defending champion Tiger Paddlers, succumbing to a 0-3 sweep in a Season 85 Finals rematch. Ateneo rookie Rod Andree Garcia took on Eljay Dan Tormis in the first singles match, falling 4-11 and 7-11 in the second and third set, respectively.

After Garcia’s opening loss, the odds were not in veteran Kong Cabrido’s favor, either, as the seasoned stalwart dropped an intense five-set singles match against John Castro, 8-11, 16-14, 8-11, 11-4, 9-11, as the Tiger Paddlers went up 2-0.

Lastly, the Atenean pair of Wrency Abad and France De Asis failed to outlast their España-based counterparts, Abraham Antivio IV and Al Sanchez, in another backbreaking five-set affair, 2-3. After forcing a rubber match with an 11-8 fourth set win, the Blue and White were outplayed by the UST duo in the deciding set, 4-11.

10:30 AM match vs AdU

Quickly rebounding from their opening loss, the Blue and White took command in their second match of the morning, sweeping the Adamson Soaring Falcons in convincing fashion, 3-0.

Team Captain Andrew Uy showed his veteran composure after trailing 0-2 against Jed Villaviray in their first singles match. The Atenean mainstay completed his reverse sweep with three-straight wins to claim their first victory of the day in a nail-biting 11-8 fifth set victory.

Similar to Uy’s previous comeback win, Drozle Fresco pulled off another five-set victory against Adamson’s Amiel Aroma, 3-2. Following a disheartening 3-11 loss in the fourth set, Fresco showed his resolve and managed to pull off an 11-8 game-clinching victory to bring Ateneo one game closer to their first overall win of the day.

Completing their impressive run against the Soaring Falcons, the Abad-De Asis duo broke away with a dominant 3-0 sweep over Jhon Brylle Balucos and Aldrean Gacho, as the Blue and White improved to a 1-1 record for day two.

1:30 PM match vs UP

Playing off their resounding victory over Adamson, the Blue Eagles entered the Battle of Katipunan determined to make quick work of the Fighting Maroons in their final fixture of the day. With their sights set on bolstering their Final Four bid, the Ateneo Men’s Table Tennis Team (AMTTT) completed another sweep at the expense of UP, 3-0.

Blue Eagle rookie Garcia pulled off his first win of the day off a tough five-set singles match against UP’s Dirk Odian II, 11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 9-11, 11-7. The young Atenean stalwart was immediately followed by Fresco, who went away with a five-set victory of his own over Gabriel Nieva, 10-12, 11-9, 16-14, 7-11, 11-6.

Capping off the Blue and White’s dominant rout of their Katipunan neighbors, Abad and De Asis wasted no time in silencing Benzdio Florida and Earnst Salloman. The reliable Blue Eagle duo clinched the win off a three-set victory, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9.

In his Season 86 debut, Uy noted how the team’s mindset aided them in their wins today. “This is my first game of the season, so nasa isip ko I need to push [myself], na kahit talo ‘man ako, at least I did my best,” the Team Captain shared.

Women’s Table Tennis

8:00 AM match vs AdU

Opening second day festivities for the Ateneo Women’s Table Tennis Team (AWTTT), Co-Captain Ann Gella Borbon tested her mettle against Lady Falcon Nicole Dave in the first singles match.

Borbon’s veteran experience was in full display as she wiped the floor against her San Marcelino-based adversary. A netball from Adamson’s Dave secured Borbon her first victory, 11-5, while another misfire from the Soaring Falcon handed the Atenean vet another lopsided 11-3 win.

However, despite her back against the wall, Dave forced a back-and-forth affair in their third set, ultimately eking out a 11-9 win. Despite the sudden change in momentum, Borbon stood her ground and banked on Dave’s error-laden performance to seal Ateneo’s first victory of the day, 3-1, with an 11-7 third set win.

Elsewhere, rookie Jelaine Monteclaro squared up against Alyssa Toleco in the second singles match. The neophyte went the distance in her first set by taking a 12-11 lead, but ultimately surrendered her advantage as Toleco escaped with the win, 14-12.

Undeterred by the opening loss, Monteclaro ended up with a reverse sweep to give the Blue Eagles a 2-0 team-tie lead. The Atenean rookie’s convincing 12-4 second set win was followed up by back-to-back 11-8 triumphs to put Dave away, 3-1.

Finally, Kaela Aguilar and Celeen Docto repped the Blue and White in their doubles match versus Adamson’s Mary Jane De Guzman and Kris Romaguera. The Blue Eagle duo bowed out to the Soaring Falcons in their first set, 6-11, but immediately turned the tables by handing the San Marcelino-based duo their own 6-11 losses in sets two and three.

To take their third victory of the season, the Katipunan-based pairing delivered late into the fourth set to put away their opposition across the table with an 11-7 victory.

10:30 AM match vs UST

Switching things up for their second battle of the morning against UST, Monteclaro went first for the Blue and White as she went up against Lady Paddler Kathlyn Gabisay in the first singles match. With a dominant performance, the star rookie made quick work of her España-based opponent with a 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 three-set sweep to put Ateneo up 1-0.

Co-Captain Borbon replicated her teammate’s previous success with another sweep, this time against Janna Mae Paculba. The veteran Blue Eagle took the first two sets with ease, winning 11-6 in both instances. Borbon and Paculba were then locked in a heated battle in the third set, with the Atenean eventually overcoming her opponent, 17-15. With Borbon’s resilience, the AWTTT improved to 2-0 in the team-tie score.

Despite only being one win away from sweeping the first doubles match and consequently the team-tie against UST, the Atenean tandem of Aguilar and Docto faltered by dropping three straight sets to Lady Paddlers Ciara Derecho and Jamielyn Villalon, 2-3.

In the third singles match, Kathleene Bulaqueña failed to put a dent in Kaye Encarnacion’s solid performance, sweeping the Blue Eagle Co-Captain 3-0 to force a deciding fifth set match.

With the game on the line, Ateneo’s Anna Fabregar averted disaster and capped off their morning with an impressive 3-0 singles win over Corrine Cartera, 11-5, 11-4, 11-8, as the Blue Eagles completed their 3-2 team-tie victory over the reigning champions.

1:30 PM match vs FEU

With their eyes set on notching a spotless record for day two, the Blue Eagles would face a tough adversary in Season 85 semifinalists FEU. However, after a prolonged affair, the Blue and White were unable to hold on and faltered to the Lady Tamaraws in a five-set loss, 2-3.

To kick-off the first singles match, Co-Captain Borbon put up a valiant stand against Shairah Gabisay, taking a 2-1 advantage after their first three rounds. However, Gabisay shifted gears and took the final two matches, 11-8 and 11-7, to snatch the first team-tie in favor of FEU, 3-2.

Moving over to the second singles match, Blue Eagle Monteclaro avenged her teammate by managing to prevail against Lady Tamaraw Reshma Bagongon, 3-1. Despite going down in the first round 5-11, the rookie remained resilient and went unbeaten from thereon, winning 11-7, 11-9, and 11-9 to bring the team-tie to 1-1.

Entering the first doubles match, the ever-reliable duo of Aguilar and Docto made quick work of FEU’s Miriam Martinez and Glieza Ampalid, sweeping the match, 12-10, 12-10, 11-8, to give Ateneo the upperhand in the team-tie, 2-1.

Determined to force a final rubber match, Lady Tamaraw Aizel Mae Rom powered past Blue Eagle Anna Fabregar in the third singles match, 11-8, 15-17, 11-6, 11-8, as the team-tie reached its final deadlock at 2-2.

With momentum now on the side of the Sampaloc-based paddlers, an 11-8 first round win by Ateneo’s Kathleene Balaqueña would not be enough to stop Liezl Joy Cañada as the Lady Tamaraw proceeded to take the next three rounds to secure the overall victory for FEU, 3-2.

As both teams gained two wins apiece, the Men’s and Women’s squads hope to keep their impressive run going and bolster their fight towards the Final Four. As of writing, the Blue Eagles’ upcoming schedule for the second round of eliminations has yet to be announced.