The DLSU Green Shuttlers folded against the all-powerful UST Growling Tigers, 3-2, to end their campaign in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Badminton Tournament, yesterday, October 27, at the Rizal Memorial Hall. Despite gaining momentum on their consecutive wins in their doubles matches, the smashers from Taft ultimately succumbed in the singles matches, losing to the España-based squad and closing their season with a heartbreaking loss.
Similarly, the DLSU Lady Shuttlers collapsed in a 4-1 matchup under the pressure of the UST Growling Tigresses in the Women’s Badminton Tournament, ending their run for the season. In her last bout, Viana Antonio steered the game in her singles match, bagging a point for the Green-and-White.
Almost there
Miguel Cuarte launched the first singles match with a rough start against Growling Tiger Lennox Cuilao, who capitalized on Cuarte’s unstable grounds. Cuilao saw through the Green-and-White’s blind spots as he smashed through the Taft-based shuttler, forcing Cuarte to scramble and recalibrate his offensive and defensive plays. Despite his attempt at claiming the first win, Cuilao steered the game and forced the man in green to concede, eventually ending the round in three sets, 21-11, 21-17, and 21-16.
Seeking redemption, James Capin showed out for the Green Shuttlers, coming to blows with UST Growling Tiger Francis Sarmiento in the second singles match. Capin bagged the first set while Sarmiento struggled to find his rhythm, 21-18. However, this run did not last long for the Green-and-White as the Epaña-based Tiger gained footing and ran through Capin, ultimately sealing the match with scores of 21-19 and 21-18.
In a bid for a turnaround, the Green Shuttlers Joshua Morada and Yuan Tan challenged the Growling Tigers Cuilao and Bien Miraflor in the first doubles match. With a heady start, Morada and Tan dominated the court, showcasing excellent synergy. The Lasallians and Thomasians waded through a strenuous match, with both teams reaching several deadlocks. Despite the Tigers’ attempt at breaking DLSU’s fighting spirit, the duo in green successfully avenged the Shuttlers first few losses. In an intense 65-minute battle, they prevailed despite dropping set two, 21-19, 21-19, and 21-17.
Cuarte returned with renewed hunger alongside Zaki Layno, confronting the formidable UST shuttlers Sarmiento and Ron Galve in the last doubles match. High off their squad’s first win, the Taft-based tandem commanded the paint, blocking off the Tigers’ attempt at breaking their pace. Exploiting UST’s rocky stride, the Green-and-White wrung out their opponents in several deadlocks, winning in straight sets, 21-16 and 21-14.
Hoping to tally another win in the season, a decisive third singles match between Joshua Fajilan and UST standout Ivan Tuazon determined the fate of the Lasallian hopefuls. Tuazon smashed through Fajilan’s defenses, leaving him grappling for a point in the paint. Undeterred by Tuazon’s playmaking, Fajilan attempted to break through, but Tuazon’s growling prowess left the man in green scrambling for better plays. In a 38-minute face-off, the Growling Tigers capped off the round with two-straight wins, 21-10 and 21-12, forcing the Green Shuttlers to surrender and end their season with a 3-2 fallout.
Downhill battle
Lady Shuttlers Team Captain Ghiselle Bautista led the charge against UAAP Season 86 Rookie of the Year Patricia De Leon in their first bout at the court. Bautista took advantage of De Leon’s off-paced rhythm, forcing her to shoot the shuttle out wide several times. De Leon came back stronger, overwhelming Bautista to commit consecutive attacking errors, leaving them in several deadlocks. With her unbreakable spirit, DLSU forced UST into long rallies in a close fight. However, the Tigress ruled the court effortlessly, ending the first match in three sets after claiming the first, 21-15, 21-18, and 21-16.
Second on the line, Lady Tuario sought vengeance against Growling Tigress Reshane Nicor on their race to victory. Tuario and Nicor opened the set by exchanging errors as they struggled to find their footing in the match. After several deadlocks, Tuario rose to the occasion, while Nicor’s ankle sprain hindered her pace. With renewed vigor, Nicor soon smashed against the lady in green’s defenses, pushing the Taft-based shuttler to the brink. With DLSU’s continuous errors, Nicor championed over Tuario in three sets after losing the first set, 21-19, 24-22, and 21-13.
Lady Shuttlers Mia Manguilimotan and Viana Antonio hoped to rekindle the Green-and-White’s hunger as they battled the Tigresses De Leon and Marielle Alvarez in their first doubles match. Determined to one-up their competitors, the duo in green displayed excellent teamwork, covering each other’s blind spots effortlessly. But this was not enough to deter the Tigresses’ sharp attacks and defensive prowess. De Leon and Alvarez gave the Taft-based tandem a beating, compelling them to commit shot errors that led to their defeat, 21-17 and 21-17.
Accepting their faiths, the Green-and-White’s Team Captain Bautista and Jacqueline Pantoja sought to rally a mark on the scoreboard against UST’s Jennifier Saladaga and Rhafi Santos in their last doubles match. With the Taft-based duo’s spirits low, the Tigresses’ tandem shelled them with quick shots as Bautista and Pantoja failed to defend against UST’s onslaught. Unable to recover, Bautista and Pantoja struggled to keep the Tigresses from bagging the round in another straight-sets win, 21-9 and 21-11.
Last on the lineup, Lady Shuttler Antonio went up against UST’s Angelina Vitangcol in a deciding last bout for a spot in the final four. Determined to nail down a win for the Green-and-White, Antonio took advantage of Vitangcol’s weak defensive plays and assailed her with shots, leaving her scuffling for a point. With Antonio’s spirited performance and Vitangcol’s continuous shot and defensive errors, UST bowed down to the Taft-based shuttler, 21-10 and 21-19, finishing their season with a 4-1 mark.
The Green and Lady Shuttlers concluded their run for the UAAP Season 87 Badminton Tournament with a 1-4 record. After a downhill battle against the Growling Tigers and Golden Tigresses, they finished second to the last in the standings, unable to clinch a spot in the Final Four.
