THE UST Lady Paddlers handed the DLSU Lady Paddlers their first loss, 3-2, in the UAAP Season 86 women’s table tennis tournament at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City on Friday.
With UST down two-matches-to-none, Lady Paddlers Ciara Derecho and Jamielyn Villalon destroyed Rein Teodoro and Marian Caoile in the doubles match to avert DLSU’s sweep attempt, 11-8,11-4, 11-5.
UST’s team captain Kaye Encarnacion then tied the game after outlasting Kyla Bernaldez in the third singles match, 13-15, 5-11,11-7,13-11, 11-8.
Lady Paddler Corrine Cartera conquered DLSU’s Mitz Redoquerio in the decider to seal UST’s win, 17-15, 4-11, 11-8, 11-4.
In the first two singles matches, UST rookie Janna Paculba and veteran Kathlyn Gabisay yielded to DLSU’s Angel Laude and reigning MVP Jannah Romero, who both have Southeast Asian Games experience.
However, the Lady Paddlers suffered their second loss after falling short against the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
The Derecho-Villalon tandem outlasted Blue Eagles Kaela Aguilar and Maria Docto, 8-11, 10-12, 16-14, 11-7, 11-6, in the doubles matchers, before Encarnacion forced the decider with an 11-2, 11-3, 11-2 rout of Kathleen Balaqueña.
However, Cartera fell short against Ateneo’s Anna Fabregar, 11-5, 11-4, 11-8.
Ateneo had an early 2-0 advantage after Blue Eagles Jelaine Monteclaro and Ann Borbon bested Lady Paddler Gabisay (11-5, 11-4, 11-5) and Janna Paculba (11-6, 11-6, 17-15) in the first two singles matches.
UST stormed back with a 3-1 thrashing of the UP Fighting Maroons to end the first round with a 4-2 win-loss record.
“We did our best. Actually we’re not expecting pa to win kaya lang we are very fortunate on the doubles event kasi we made it to lose them even lamang sila,” UST head coach Lorinda Wadjad told the Varsitarian.
Wadjad said they still need to make crucial lineup adjustments come the second round.
“The lineup kasi depende sa individual. Hulihan din. At nagulat kami nahuli namin ang La Salle. [Pero] sa Ateneo, natalo kami kasi mali yung lineup namin,” she said. “Para sa akin, focus, preparation, most especially talaga service, receive, and the line up. I hope in the second round mahuli namin sila.”
Meanwhile, UST zoomed to a 5-0 record in the girls’ division after conquering De La Salle Santiago Zobel and Adamson University with similar 3-2 wins.
The UST Lady Paddlers will open their second-round campaign on Nov. 14, Tuesday, at the same venue.
