REIGNING champions UST Tiger and Lady Paddlers defended in their respective titles in the UAAP season 82 best-of-three table tennis finals at Blue Eagle Gym last Nov. 20.
The Tiger Paddlers outlasted the National University Bulldogs, 2-1, while the women’s team swept the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles, 2-0.
NU secured an early advantage after beating the Tiger Paddlers in game one, 3-2.
“It was a very humbling experience for the whole team. The loss fueled the team to bounce back and take the back-to-back championship title,” UST men’s team head coach Jackson Que told the Varsitarian.
The Tiger Paddlers bounced back to tie the matches, one game apiece, after a 3-1 win.
Reymark Mabuang capped UST’s 2-1 win in the deciding matches.
The reigning champions earned a ticket to the finals with a perfect 14-0 elimination round record.
In women’s play, the Lady Paddlers survived the Lady Eagles with a 3-2 victory in their first game.
Lady Paddlers Sherlyn Gabisay and Ciara Derecho lost to Kaela Aguilar and Ann Gela Borbon, in their respective singles matches.
UST duo Emery Digamon and Erika Villanueva posted a win over Ateneo’s Geque Carado and Hellari Calvo.
UST’s Shaeena Ronquilo and Danica Alburo sealed the Lady Paddler’s victory after thwarting Ana Calvo and Joy Bulaqueña in their final singles matches.
UST entered the semifinals with a 13-1 win-loss slate, the lone loss given by the Lady Eagles.
“The best opponent we had was Ateneo. Almost all of them are left handed and this makes them difficult to beat,” Lady Paddlers head coach Lorinda Wadjad told the Varsitarian.
Mabuang and Gabisay took home this season’s Most Valuable Player awards.
UST will lose the services of graduating paddlers Mabuang, Alburo, Kathleen Tempiatura and Kate Encarnacion.
