THE ATENEO Women’s Badminton Team completed another successful game day after facing the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Lady Shuttlers, 4-1, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 Women’s Badminton Tournament. The match took place earlier today, October 16, at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in the City of Manila.
The victory extends the Blue Eagles’ record to 4-0, maintaining their first-seed status, which they share with the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons.
To begin the match, Althea Ocampo set the tone for the Katipunan-based unit after earning a dominant victory over UST’s Christine Dorega, 2-0. At the first set, Ocampo started with resounding fashion through her powerful cross-court finishes, which exploited her opponent’s lackluster defense to claim an early 8-2 advantage. However, the Season 87 Rookie of the Year struggled with miscues of her own, sending multiple shots into the net to decrease her lead, 10-5. Finding herself in a tightly contested set due to her opponent’s improved play, 15-13, Ocampo unleashed a slew of well-placed shots, finishing off the first set on a 6-1 run, 21-14.
As play resumed in the second set, Ocampo found herself trailing, 2-4, as Dorega ramped up her aggressiveness. Quick to respond, the Blue Eagle targeted her opponent’s fragile defense once more, deploying consecutive drop shots to surge ahead, 9-6. With momentum fully on her side, Ocampo upped the intensity, delivering vicious combinations that extended her advantage to 17-8. In full command, the Blue Eagle standout remained relentless in her defensive stance, forcing Dorega into a final miscue for Ateneo’s first team point of the day, 21-13.
Up next in singles action, Ateneo Team Captain Mika De Guzman stamped her class in a 2-0 triumph over Lady Shuttler Reshane Nicor. Utilizing all areas of the court, De Guzman dominated the early stages of the match with an array of delicate finishes at the net, 9-2. Despite committing a few errors midway through the set, 13-5, De Guzman regained control, cruising to claim the first set win, 21-9.
The Ateneo skipper continued her commanding performance in the second set, inducing mistakes from Nicor to mount an 8-1 lead. Finding the gaps in her counterpart’s defense, De Guzman’s constant pressure in the forecourt kept the opposing defense scrambling, allowing her lead to balloon, 17-8. As the 23-year-old star capped off her masterful display, the Blue Eagles secured their second team point of the day following a well-placed drive, 21-8.
Parading a lineup of Althea Rio Fuentespina and Althea Princess Hernandez, Loyola Heights captured their third team point after a successful match against the Tiger Shuttler duo of Hanie De Jesus and Marielle Alvarez. The Blue Eagles’ chemistry paid dividends at the onset of the first set, as they played well off one another, 6-3. However, UST’s De Jesus’s quick reflexes caused trouble for the Blue Eagles, dispatching an 8-1 run to put Ateneo behind, 7-11. Battling back in the nip-and-tuck first set, the tandem from Katipunan showed their resolve on multiple long rallies, inching closer, 10-12.
As Fuentespina delivered with a strong smash straight into her opponent, the teams found themselves deadlocked, 15-all. With the intensity on the court building, Hernandez’s strong smash put the Blue Eagles in front once more, 17-16. Yet, the Tiger Shuttlers stormed back, forcing a deadlock at 20-all. Unfazed by UST’s resolve, Fuentespina executed a backhand shot to perfection, claiming the first set triumph, 22-20.
Opening the second set once more in a back-and-forth affair, the pair of duos found themselves in a close contest, with the Blue Eagles trailing by one point, 5-6. After the two teams exchanged rallies, a forceful drive from Hernandez tied the match at 10-all. Following the mid-game interval, the Atenean pairing capitalized on their opponent’s faults, resulting in a 15-11 lead. Despite giving up a 0-4 run, which tied the game again, 15-15, the Loyola Heights unit hastily recovered on the back of Hernandez’s steady defense to come away with Ateneo’s third team point, 21-16.
Returning to the match, Team Captain De Guzman was joined by Jochelle Alvarez as they took on UST’s Santos and Salgada. In the opening possessions, the veteran Atenean duo fell victim to an uncharacteristic slump, unable to return their typical serves as they dropped to a 2-8 hole. However, De Guzman’s masterful shot placement and Alvarez’s quick thinking allowed Ateneo to claw back into the game with a 5-3 run, 7-11.
Despite gathering a handful of points in a row, the Blue Eagles’ miscues hindered them from soaring ahead, 12-15. Even as the Atenean duo cut the gap to two, their errors proved costly, as Alvarez’s return landed outside the line, surrendering the set for the Blue Eagles, 17-21.
Determined to stay perfect as a duo for the season, the Ateneo pair smashed their way into a 4-0 lead upon the start of the second set. Another series of missed returns threatened their lead, but the Blue Eagles remained defensive to stay ahead, 8-4. Entering the interval, the Loyola Heights-based pair forced the Thomasians into committing consecutive errors to keep their advantage safe, 11-7.
With their offensive chemistry now in order, De Guzman and Alvarez exchanged turns, pulling apart UST’s crumbling defense, 19-10. Even with the Lady Shuttlers executing a 3-0 sprint, the Blue Eagles remained composed, with De Guzman sending a tough shot that led to a net error from UST, which evened the set score at 1-1 with a 21-13 victory.
Miscommunication from De Guzman and Alvarez became problematic as the pair lagged behind once more at the start of the third set, 2-8. Despite the Atenean skipper gaining another point for the Blue Eagles with a tough rally, the Lady Shuttlers ballooned their advantage to 3-11. Finding their groove once more, Ateneo trimmed the lead bit by bit through the perseverance of the Blue Eagle duo’s offense, 8-14.
However, another series of miscues extended the deficit against the Atenean pair, 14-19. Before they could attempt one last run at a comeback, De Guzman swung late on a return smash, dropping Ateneo’s first team-tie score of the afternoon, 15-21.
For the fifth and final match of today’s game, Ateneo’s Angel Valle faced off against UST’s De Jesus. Intent on redeeming last match’s loss, Valle showcased her powerful form through her smashes that catapulted her to a 4-0 advantage. However, the Blue Eagle shuttler’s rallies landed out of bounds, cutting down the lead, 5-4. Despite the missed returns, Valle showcased another display of offensive prowess, sending down spiraling shots that extended the advantage to 11-6.
The next few possessions found the Ateneo veteran losing her step on offense, 11-10, but she continued to battle for every point from all corners of the court, 18-18. Soon after, Valle forced the Thomasian to three consecutive court errors, ultimately winning Ateneo the first set, 21-18.
At the onset of the second set, Valle’s suffocating offense followed, giving the Atenean shuttler a 9-2 advantage in mere minutes. A string of miscues from the Blue Eagle surrendered a handful of points, but Valle retained her lead coming into the interval, 11-5.
Errors on Ateneo’s end trimmed down the lead, as Valle struggled to find the mark on her rallies, 12-9. However, the Ateneo veteran immediately unloaded another round of powerful returns to mend the deficit, 19-11. With victory in her grasp, Valle forced De Jesus into a net and outside error, effectively winning her the team-tie point, 21-14.
The Blue Eagles will look to close out their elimination round in a possible Final Four preview against the UP Fighting Maroons on Saturday, October 18, at 1:00 PM in the same venue.
Team-tie Score:
Ateneo-UST: 4-1
Results:
First Singles: Ocampo (Ateneo) def. Dorega (UST), 21-14, 21-13
Second Singles: De Guzman (Ateneo) def. Nicor (UST), 21-9,21-8
First Doubles: Fuentespina & Hernandez (Ateneo) def. De Jesus & Alvarez, 22-20, 21-16
Second Doubles: Santos & Salgada (UST) def. De Guzman & Alvarez (Ateneo), 17-21, 21-13, 15-21
Third Singles: Valle (Ateneo) def. De Jesus (UST), 21-18, 21-14
Current Standings (W-L):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (4-0)
- UP Fighting Maroons (4-0)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (2-2)
- AdU Lady Falcons (1-3)
- DLSU Lady Shuttlers (1-3)
- UST Lady Shuttlers (0-4)
