The DLSU Green and Lady Shuttlers missed the mark on their UAAP Season 88 debut matchup as they suffered a 5-0 beatdown, courtesy of previously crowned runners-up and rivals ADMU Blue Eagles in the Men’s and Women’s Badminton Tournament today, October 11, at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.
Starting their campaign on a heavy note, the Green-and-White failed to secure a single set against the Katipunan-based squad in consecutive clashes.
Blue barrage
Off the bat for the first singles match, James Capin faced Robby Ramos. For the Shuttlers, facing last year’s finalists proved to be no easy feat. While gaining an early lead for DLSU, Capin held off attacks and kept composure against the Atenean. However, in breaking the 6-all deadlock, Ramos took control and, in turn, secured a hard-earned point that boosted Ateneo’s momentum. Struggling to keep up with the tempo, errors struck Capin, forcing the Lasallian to falter in straight sets, 21-11 and 21-12, and putting Ateneo up 1-0.
In search of redemption, Miguel Cuarte stepped up to the plate, determined to take down Ateneo’s co-captain, Lyrden Laborte. The Lasallians’ second match turned out to be a tighter one. Cuarte, exuding a fearless aura, sparked a comeback from a sizable lead, cutting the score down to 19-18. But to the dismay of the Lasallians, Laborte managed to get his footing back and took home the first set for ADMU. Transitioning the same energy into the next set, the Atenean kept his foot on the gas despite the late charge from DLSU. The Lasallians succumbed in straight sets once again, 21-19 and 21-14, as the Ateneans extended their lead to two.
For the first doubles match, the seasoned duo of Season 87 captain Joshua Moraga and current team captain Yuan Tan stood ready to change the tides. Opposing them were ADMU’s Pingkoy Salvado and Atenean co-captain Lance Vargas. The match’s momentum swung both ways as both sides had their chances. La Salle savored a one point lead, only to mishandle a run brought by Ateneo to secure the first set. The following set would mirror the fate of the prior with a tougher affair, reaching deuce before Vargas delivered the final blow, 22-20 and 21-18, furthering La Salle’s deficit to 3-0.
DLSU’s pairing of Cuarte and Zeki Layno turned their heads to ADMU’s Ramos and Laborte for the second doubles outing. However, this contrasted the first’s themes of a gritty affair, as the Lasallians’ showing this time around seemed to be more lackluster. The Eagles took the wheel, capitalizing on errors and overpowering the Shuttlers to remain unblemished, 21-14 and 21-18.
DLSU’s Lovic Javier geared up against Vargas to cap off the men’s matches. To the Blue-and-White faithful’s delight, the Atenean captain showed poise all throughout, not letting Javier get a taste of the lead, striking the final points of the match and sealing the game away, 21-18 and 21-15, and culminating the Blue Eagles’ 5-0 victory.
Rackets held high
Looking to start off strong with Ghiselle Bautista, The Lady Shuttlers’ team captain went up against the country’s top-ranked player, Ateneo’s Mika De Guzman. A series of netting and unfortunate errors allowed the ADMU Blue eagles to take control, with De Guzman maintaining the momentum through sharp smashes and well-executed returns. Bautista tried to surpass with clever and quick adjustments but ultimately fell 21-8 in the opening set. In the following set, she showcased improved rhythm and coordination, taking advantage of Ateneo’s errors to stay within reach. However, De Guzman’s consistent offense and strategic plays proved to be too strong, conceding the match, 21-10, and giving the Blue Eagles a 1-0 advantage.
In hopes of a better showing in the next match, Lady Tuario opened the game with her head held high against Season 87 Rookie of the Year Althea Ocampo. Slowly building momentum with her sharp returns and quick footwork, Tuario found herself in frequent net exchanges and faced a handful of out of the line shots as ADMU claimed the first set, 21-17. However, the second game passed with continuous gameplay and wild determination coming from both sides. Tuario once again came up short, 21-15.
In the first match of the doubles round, co-captains Ghiselle Bautista and Antonio Viana paired up against De Guzman and Jochelle Alvarez. The duo showcased chemistry and coordination for a smooth and smart court coverage, however they succumbed in the opening set, 21-14. The duo displayed a better showing in the second game, backing each other up with precise shots, but this would not be enough to contain ADMU’s firepower as they fell, 21-17. In the following doubles match, The Blue Eagles, with Christel Fuentespina and Althea Hernandez, maintained control with aggressive smashes and quick court plays against Rookie Venice Salapong and Mia Manguilimptan to take the game, 21-14. Ateneo’s dominance carried over to the succeeding game as they came away with a lopsided 21-7 routing to extend their lead to 3-0.
With La Salle falling behind, Viana Antonio entered the final singles looking to deliver a match victory against Angel Valle. She opened the match with sharp drop shots and proposed good defense, making Valle fight for points to almost take the first round. Despite a hard-fought set, leading to a deuce, Valle edged her out, 23-21. However, Antonio refused to back down in the following set as she claimed the first set win for the DLSU, 21-14. In the deciding set, Antonio maintained a late lead in the game, yet her inspiring effort to avenge her teammates ultimately fell short, 21-16, as the Blue Eagles sealed the overall tie, 5-0.
After their clash with ADMU, Manguilimotan shared her insights on the team’s overall performance in today’s opener. “Lahat naman binigay [‘yung] best nila, pero kinapos lang talaga kami. Lahat naman [sa amin ay] nagmi-mindset na sa next games, iba na [ang] mga strategies na gagawin namin, especially na kailangan namin bumawi.”
(We all gave our best but we just fell short. We are already fixing our mindset for the next games and we’ll change the strategies we’ll use, especially since we need to catch up).
Reflecting on today’s games, Manguilimotan added crucial key points going into their next games. “Magkakaroon kami ng more eagerness sa court and ‘yung willingness to win talaga, ‘tsaka ‘yung mindset na pagpasok pa lang sa court na amin ito.”
(We will have more eagerness in the court and the willingness to win, as well as the mindset that whenever we step into the court that this is ours.)
The Green and Lady Shuttlers are on the hunt for their first win as they go head-to-head with the NU Bulldogs and UP Fighting Maroons tomorrow, October 12, at 8 am and 1 pm respectively, at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.
