UAAP: Green, Lady Paddlers finish eliminations on top

DLSU’s second round dominance has spilled over to Table Tennis as both the DLSU Green and Lady Paddlers swept their assignments in the second round to secure the top seeds in their respective divisions in the UAAP Table Tennis Tournament held at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Domination may not even be enough to describe the Lady Paddlers’ run as they have coasted through the competition thus earning an automatic berth in the finals and a thrice-to-beat advantage. The quest for a second consecutive championship is closer as they have earned themselves another bye in skipping the semi-final round. Given how their first round bye has propelled them to their 12-0 record in the elimination round, the sky’s the limit for the Lady Paddlers.

For the Green Paddlers, the dream to improve their runner-up finish from last season is very much alive, as they secured the top seed in the final four after defeating FEU, the only team that gave them their lone loss this season. As open as the competition has been, the Green Paddlers have set themselves apart and are poised to become the team to beat this season.

“Medyo na bawasan na ng konti,” a confident Coach Lauro Crisostomo says when asked about his opponents as both his teams keep marching on in the tournament.

The Green Paddlers opened the second round against the defending champions, UST. Walden Ledesma opened things up for DLSU yet UST’s Abendan defeated Jerald Cristobal to tie the series up at one apiece. With the tandem of Nones and Garganian breaking the tie, Jet Yatco finished things off giving DLSU the series at 3-1.

In the Green Paddler’s second match against UP, Cristobal made up for his earlier setback against UST by defeating UP’s De Jesus to give DLSU a 2-0 lead. Once again, Yatco played the role of the closer as he sealed things up for the Green Paddlers, giving them their second victory in as many outings.

The Lady Paddler’s spotless record may be an amazing feat, but it was one they had to earn against opponents who hoped to derail their bid to repeat. Opening the second round against last year’s fourth placer UST, the Lady Paddlers raced to a 2-0 series lead yet the Lady Paddlers needed all five games to outlast the Espana-based squad.

“Enjoy lang nila, kasi ngayon kami yung target dahil kami yung defending champions,” Coach Lauro adds.

With the final four at hand, Coach Lauro knows that the stakes are higher now that his teams are not only in the knockout stage, but are also the top seeds. To add to that, Coach Lauro understands that they’re the team to beat. Ang pinaka nasa isip namin ay one game at a time lang,” he adds as the victories keep piling up for both his squads. Wag magmadali lalo na yung [sa mga] pinakamalakas na kalaban namin.”

With their sweep of the elimination round, the Lady Paddlers’ next match will be on October 3 at the Blue Eagle Gym. The Green Paddlers on the other hand, will begin their final four campaign on October 2, still in the Blue Eagle Gym.