Reigning champions DLSU Lady Paddlers picked up right where they left off last season by finishing the tournament’s first weekend of play undefeated, currently holding a 4-0 win-loss record. The Green Paddlers, on the other hand, came away with mixed results after winning two match-ups while also dropping two over the past two days.
On September 28 at 8 am, the Green Paddlers will resume action against rivals ADMU, while the Lady Paddlers will challenge UE. At 1 pm on the same day, the men’s team will take on UP while the Lady Paddlers will battle it out against ADMU to cap off match day three for the DLSU table tennis team. Match day three will still be played at the same venue.
Strong first day
Francis Garganian opened the Green Paddlers’ season with a win over UE’s Cortez, 3-0, while Tarak Cabrido garnered the same result over UE’s Vasquez. Team captain Ralph Nones and Nathan Siasco suffered a loss in their doubles match, 3-1, while rookie Edward So debuted with a 3-0 loss against Estrella. With the match even at 2-2, Daniel Ocon defeated Pacana to secure the win for La Salle over the Red Warriors, 3-2.
After a nervy but exciting first match-up, the Green Paddlers comfortably notched their second win of the season, against the FEU Tamaraws. Garganian defeated De Guzman, 3-2, to set the tone for the entire team. FEU’s Villanueva succumbed to Cabrido, 3-0, while the doubles pair of Nones and Siasco dominated their opponents with the same scoreline.
A 3-2 and a 3-1 defeat for rookie Ina Co and reigning UAAP Most Valuable Player Emy Dael, respectively, opened the season for the Lady Paddlers. The team, however, managed a comeback to grab the win over the Lady Tamaraws. Kimberly Lumenda and Mardeline Carreon ignited the comeback as the duo overpowered FEU’s Alzado and Sacay with a 3-0 result. Team captain Jamaica Sy and Chantal Alberto subdued their respective opponents in stunning fashion, with each earning a 3-1 win.
Intense and tough were the words that Sy used to describe their opening match, but she still sees a silver lining for the defending champions after the result. “I think wake up call din siya para sa amin to do better in the next games.”
In their following match-up, against the AdU Lady Falcons, Dael played La Salle’s first match and easily prevailed with a 3-1 win over AdU’s Mutuc. Sy got the same result in the succeeding match while Carreon paired up in the doubles game with Caressha Bernaldez, winning 3-0 to clinch the match for the Lady Paddlers. “Maganda yung nilaro ng lahat and sana magtuloy-tuloy hanggang sa next few days,” Sy concluded.
Unbalanced second day
It was a rough start for the Green Paddlers in the tournament’s second day as the first match was a 0-3 loss for Green Paddler rookie So against the Bulldogs’ Villalun. Garganian, who was victorious in the first day, was paired up against Misal, but also fell to a 0-3 score. The Green Paddlers, however, were able to come back from the rough start with team captain Nones pairing up with Nathan Siasico to face the Bulldogs’ Carnasco and Huab. After an intense five-game match and a final score of 3-2, Nones and Siasico were triumphant in earning their second win as a pair for the season. La Salle’s Cabrido also earned his second win for the season, garnering a 3-0 score against Villamor. The final and deciding match-up placed Edward Ocon against NU’s Cubio Jr., which the latter won, 3-0, to clinch the win for NU.
Continuing, the day got tougher for the Green Paddlers as the singles players failed to triumph against the AdU Soaring Falcons. Garganian, So, and the undefeated Eneria all lost to their NU counterparts in the match-up between teams. A silver lining for DLSU, however, was that once again, Nones and Siasico pulled off a win but this time against Coraza and Balanquit with a final score of 3-2. After a final score of 3-2 against NU and 3-1 against AdU, Nones compared his opponents from the previous day, “Malakas din yung kalaban namin kahapon, pero compared now, mas solid yung teams ngayon,” he said after a few solid performances.
It was a completely different day for the Lady Paddlers as they were able to defeat the UP Lady Maroons, 3-0, to start their Sunday. The first match started with team captain Sy claiming a 3-2 win against CJ Ching. Dael then claimed a 3-0 win over UP’s Garcia before the victory was clinched by the team of Carreon and Lumenda, who won 3-1 against Labiah and Camacho.
The Lady Paddlers continued on against the NU bulldogs. Sy and Dael kicked off the first two match-ups against Cardalla and Rodriguez with two more wins, respectively, with identical scores of 3-0. A minor speed-bump came for the Lady Paddlers after Carreon and Bernaldez loss to Albandia and Ramirez in an intense five-game match. Co redeemed the team, beating Garcia, 3-0, and clinching the win over NU.
