THE ATENEO Women’s Badminton team kept their unblemished record, prevailing over the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 5-0, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88. The match took place earlier today, October 18, at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in the City of Manila.
This win keeps Ateneo holding firm at the summit with an untainted 5-0 win-loss record.
Opening the game for Loyola Heights was Angel Valle, who squared off against UP’s Sushi Ramos in the first singles match of the day. The early exchanges saw both shuttlers trading points with caution, keeping the scoreboard deadlocked at 8-all. Neither side showed signs of slowing down as the rallies grew more tactical, staying close at 15-all.
Valle refused to let up, breaking through with a three-point lead cushion at 20-17. Ramos attempted to stage a late comeback, but an untimely outside error sealed the deal for Valle, who secured the first set at 21-18.
Valle opened the second set under pressure as UP briefly pulled ahead with an 8-point advantage, 2-10. The Blue Eagle looked to gain momentum to close the gap, but UP’s Ramos orchestrated a string of point-securing shots that kept Valle on the defensive.
Despite Valle’s efforts to regain control, UP held onto the momentum, widening the lead at 8-18 in favor of the Fighting Maroons. An outside error from Valle ended the rally, allowing Ramos to claim the set and force a deciding third set in the opening singles match, 9-21.
Entering the deciding third set, Valle began to find her footing, but Ramos came out strong with sharp shots that secured UP’s advantage. Even as she pushed to rally back, Valle fell behind, 3-10, as UP dictated the tempo midway through the set. Refusing to back down, Valle mounted a spirited comeback for Ateneo, stringing together precise shots to chip away at the deficit at 11-all.
Both shuttlers traded intense rallies as the set reached its endgame, with neither willing to concede their ground, 19-19. Valle then broke the deadlock with a decisive cross-court smash that Ramos failed to return, giving the Blue Eagle a crucial one-point edge and match point at 20-19.
However, Ramos quickly answered, leveling the score once again at 20-all. After another intense exchange, an outside hit from Ramos finally broke the deadlock, sealing the hard-fought third set at 24-22. With the clutch win, Valle delivered Ateneo their first match victory of the team tie after an intense back-and-forth battle that set the tone for the rest of the game day, 1-0.
In the second singles match, Ateneo’s ace Mika De Guzman stepped onto the court to face UP’s Anthea Gonzales. Building on the momentum from Valle’s opening win, De Guzman wasted no time asserting control, gaining a 6-3 lead. Maintaining her rhythm, De Guzman unleashed a series of decisive shots that kept Gonzales on the defensive line.
Her control proved dominant as she widened the gap to 18-7, firmly placing Ateneo in command of the first set. Towards the end, a mistimed shot from Gonzales that failed to clear the net secured the first set for De Guzman, 21-10.
De Guzman carried over her momentum in the second set as the match quickly turned into a tightly contested battle with both players exchanging precise shots. De Guzman and Gonzales locked in a fierce exchange, keeping the score level at 5-5. The match remained fiercely competitive as both teams reached another standstill, 11-11. From there, De Guzman took full control and dictated the rallies to pull ahead to a decisive 20-14 advantage. With a calculated return, De Guzman forced out an outside error from Gonzales as the Blue Eagles closed the set at 21-14, securing Ateneo’s second team tie point.
Keeping the adrenaline high from the first game, Althea Princess Hernandez and Althea Rio Fuentespina kickstarted the first doubles match against UP’s Ramos and Krissa De Leon with an early five-point lead, 9-4, due to Fighting Maroon Ramos’ errors. The Atenean pair continued to capitalize on UP’s faults in the succeeding exchanges as Ramos’ shots went straight into the net, allowing them to jump to an 18-11 advantage. With the Fighting Maroons unable to get out of the slumps, the Hernandez-Fuentespina duo comfortably took the set at 21-12.
As energy levels dropped, the Blue Eagles endured a 6-6 stalemate in the following frame, falling at the hands of UP’s De Leon. Despite the unstable control, Hernandez still managed to exemplify her court precision with a smash at 12-9. However, the Loyola Heights duo struggled to restrain Fighting Maroon De Leon’s forehand strength, losing edge at 17-21.
Unable to shake off the tension, the Atenean shuttlers had trouble neutralizing the driven De Leon in the third set, 0-4. Desperately needing a reversal, Fuentespina executed a cross-court push to pull closer by three, 9-12. This play effectively uplifted the Blue Eagles in the next rallies of the game, where Ateneo slowly regained court dominance. Soon after, Hernandez proved that no lead was safe as she executed a masterful return to claim the victory at 21-18.
Suiting up for the Blue and White once more, the De Guzman-Jochelle Alvarez tandem displayed a top-tier form in the second doubles match with a 7-5 upper hand from sharp placements. Alvarez showcased her quiet ferocity, skillfully dropping a shuttle to gain a five-point cushion, 13-8. With UP’s Gonzales and Shei Dela Cruz falling short, Team Captain De Guzman finished the job by delivering a smash at 21-11.
Due to the Fighting Maroons’ faulty play, the Blue Eagles pulled off a 9-0 run at 15-2 to dictate the second set’s pace. With their connection intact, the Atenean duo surged ahead through an Alvarez backhand smash, 18-4. As UP continued to struggle on the defense, the game closed out with a clear-cut 21-6 rule.
Looking to end the day flawlessly, Althea Ocampo controlled the exchanges in the last singles match, erecting a 5-0 run through a cross-court smash, 7-2. While UP’s Brys Fuggan attempted to catch up, the Atenean shuttler unleashed a shot across the court, clinching a 15-11 advantage. Racing towards set point, the Blue Eagle converted on Fuggan’s errors to close at 21-13.
Still with high spirits, Ocampo executed a line smash that gave her an 8-5 control. As the Fighting Maroon fell victim to her own faults, the Atenean displayed clever shuttle placements for a seven-point gap, 17-10. Set to complete the sweep, Ocampo profited from Fuggan’s mishits for a 21-13 turnout.
The Blue Eagles intend to cement their place at the top as they await their Final Four game schedule and opponent lineup for Season 88.
Team-tie Score:
Ateneo-UP: 5-0
Results:
First Singles: Valle (Ateneo) def. Ramos (UP), 21-18, 9-21, 24-22
Second Singles: De Guzman (Ateneo) def. Gonzales (UP), 21-10, 21-14
First Doubles: Fuentespina & Hernandez (Ateneo) def. De Leon & Ramos (UP), 21-12, 17-21, 21-18
Second Doubles: De Guzman & Alvarez (Ateneo) def. Gonzales & Dela Cruz (UP), 21-11, 21-6
Third Singles: Ocampo (Ateneo) def. Fuggan (UP), 21-13, 21-13
Current Standings (W-L):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (5-0)
- UP Fighting Maroons (4-1)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (2-2)
- AdU Lady Falcons (1-3)
- UST Lady Shuttlers (1-3)
- DLSU Lady Shuttlers (0-4)
