The badminton finals match-up between the DLSU Lady Shuttlers and the UP Lady Maroons has evened out after a win by the latter tied the best-of-three series with one win a side. After a triumphant first day match-up against the Lady Maroons, the Lady Shuttlers hit a roadblock last Thursday against the Fighting Maroons, losing 3-1.
UP balances the scale
The first match had Lady Shuttler Arianne Rivera going up against the Lady Maroons’ Malvine Alcala in the first singles match. Alcala took the first win of the day for UP as she triumphed over Rivera in both games.
DLSU’s Iyah Sevilla took on UP’s Marina Caculitan in the second game of the afternoon match-up. Similar to Rivera, Sevilla succumbed to Caculitan in both games; each ending with a close score of 20-22, giving the Fighting Maroons a two-match advantage.
The first doubles match had Ysay Leonardo and Nicole Albo representing the Lady Shuttlers and Mary Maranon and Elonor Inlayo representing the Lady Maroons. While being just a win from forcing a do-or-die game three, UP was not successful in taking the first doubles match as Leonardo and Albo took the first win for La Salle in a two-game match, 21-19, 21-19. The score stood at 2-1 with the Lady Maroons still in the lead. Then, the fate of both schools relied on the second doubles game wherein DLSU’s Sevilla and Lindsay Tercias went head to head against Alcala and Jessie Francisco of UP. Unfortunately for the Taft-based squad, the win went to UP’s Alcala and Francisco after they took both games from Sevilla and Tercias, giving UP the win in the second game of the finals.
All or nothing
A lot is on the line for the Lady Shuttlers as they enter the final match day of the season tomorrow against UP, but they remain calm, humble, and optimistic about what is to come. Team captain Lin Javier mentions that balancing the winning scale between La Salle and UP gives the team the sense of motivation and drive to win.
“We believe that we can win it since we’re at par with them and we have nothing to lose because each one of us gives their best effort,” she cites. La Salle heads to its final game of Season 80 against UP tomorrow, October 21, with the drive to go for great.
