Blue Shuttlers sweep for their third win; Ladies suffer their first loss of the season

The Men’s Badminton Team avenged their consecutive losses by sweeping all 5 matches against Adamson University on August 20, 2011. They won 10 of their 11 games with the only loss coming from the last singles match. They are now 3-2.

Toby Gadi started it off for the Blue Shuttlers by winning his singles match in dominating fashion. Both games scored 21-8. Pawee Natividad followed suit by winning his match against Jordan Alcantara. After being down 5-10 in his 1st game, Natividad rallied for 10 straight points to win it 21-14. Natividad had a great start during his second game and ultimately won it 21-15.

Paolo Sunga and Justin Natividad teamed up for the deciding match against Adamson’s Jerome Pechera and Zyron Cayanan. The duo won the first game comfortably at 21-15. Pechera and Cayanan kept it close during the second game but Sunga and Natividad escaped, 21-19, to give Ateneo the win, 3-0.

The next two games had no bearing but the Shuttlers still gave it their all to complete the sweep. The second doubles match had Toby Gadi suiting up again together with Raphael Alonzo against Jorbie Ganzon and Keith Reyes. Their first game went down the wire but they were able to close it out 20-22. Gadi and Alonzo didn’t let Adamson come close and beat them 21-14 in their second game.

Paolo Sunga returned for the final singles match and went against Edwin Villoria of Adamson. Sunga took the first game, 21-15. Villoria answered right back by giving Ateneo its only loss of the day, 14-21. But Sunga went on a rally with 7 straight points and closed it out, 21-13, to seal the team’s win.

Later in the afternoon, the Women’s Badminton Team suffered their first loss of the season against the defending champions, Far Eastern University, who remained undefeated. Out of their five matches, four were decided in three games. The Lady Shuttlers is now in second place with a 4-1 record.

Freshman Gelita Castilo was up first for the Lady Shuttlers and went against FEU’s Katherine Mayono. Castilo won both games, 21-15, to give Ateneo the lead, 1-0. Lisa Encarnacion was up next for the second singles match against Jennifer Cayetano. FEU took the first game 19-21. Encarnacion answered right back by winning the next game, 21-18. Cayetano finished it off by winning the finagame, 21-12.

The duo of Carla Lizardo and Dia Magno battled it out against Clarissa Pascual and Gretchen Culaste for the first doubles match. The match proved to be the most exciting match of the entire afternoon. The first game was a close one with the teams tying up 14 times. The FEU Shuttlers eventually won the game 25-27. The second game was another nailbiter as the teams tied 8 times. Lizardo and Magno extended the match to three games by winning it, 22-20. The deciding game was also a close one but Pascual and Culaste pulled through, 20-22. The second doubles match had Gelita Castilo teaming up with Michelle Roxas while FEU’s Mayono and Cayetano returned for the deciding match. Mayono and Cayetano got a headstart by winning the first game 19-21. Castilo and Roxas answered right back by crushing them 21-11. FEU eventually won the match, 19-21, which gave them the win, 3-1.

The final singles match was played by Dia Magno. Like the previous matches, the final match was decided in three games. Magno won the first match, but dropped the second, 21-14 and 16-21 respectively. The last match of the day ended with Magno winning, 21-17. The Lady Shuttlers came out with a respectable 3-2 loss.

Both teams will have their second to the last game of the elimination round on Sunday, August 21. The Men’s team will go against the University of the Philippines at 9 AM while the Women’s team will face the University of Sto. Tomas at 1 PM in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Badminton Hall.

Written by Althea Lapus