The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons produced a lackluster performance in the first round of UAAP Season 78 Table Tennis. The men’s team finished 3-4 at the end of the first round of elimination fixtures, while the women’s team fared slightly better with a 4-3 record.
Bad start costs the Fighting Maroons
Three consecutive losses spelled doom for the Fighting Maroons in the first round. A huge collapse marked UP’s defeat against Far Eastern University. UP won the first two singles matches only for FEU to make a comeback and win the next three to win the tie, 3-2.
Adamson University was next for UP. The Soaring Falcons beat the Fighting Maroons 3-1 in this tie. AdU won the first two singles matches with scores of 3-2 and 3-1, respectively. UP pulled one back for a 1-3 win in the doubles match only for AdU to wrap up the tie via a 3-0 win in the last singles match.
Title contenders University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers were the next ones to conquer UP in a 3-0 tie win. UST won the first singles match 3-2 before breezing through the next matches, 3-0, to continue their dominant run.
A win finally arrived for the Fighting Maroons at the expense of the University of the East Red Warriors. It was a narrow 3-2 victory for UP, despite UE pushing for a triumph of their own. UE had a good start as they won the first singles match, 3-1, while UP responded with successive 3-0 wins in the second singles and doubles matches. UE then came back with a 3-1 win in the fourth singles match. With the tie in the balance, UP kept their composure to with the fifth singles match 3-2.
The Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles were the next team to lose to UP after they were swept 3-0 in the tie. Then followed the NU Bulldogs as the next victims, as the Fighting Maroons won the tie, 3-1.
UP’s winning streak ended at the hands of the reigning champions, the De La Salle Green Archers. Losses in the first two singles matches (3-2, 3-1) to the Green Archers gave the Fighting Maroons a mountain to climb. They won the doubles match 1-3 only to lose the fourth singles match by the same score. The Green Archers won the tie 3-1 to leave the Fighting Maroons with a lot of work to do come the second round.
Inconsistency derails Lady Maroons
Though slightly better than their male counterparts, the Lady Maroons haven’t had the best of outings in UAAP Table Tennis, this Season 78.
The Season 77 runners-up have struggled to impose themselves against fellow championship contenders in the current season. They have lost their ties to DLSU and FEU, and were swept by UST.
DLSU defeated UP 3-1 in their tie, despite the Lady Maroons winning the first singles match 2-3. After the first singles match, the Lady Maroons lost the next matches 3-0, 3-2, and 3-0 to in a statement triumph for the Lady Archers.
The FEU Lady Tamaraws was another top team who beat the Lady Maroons in the tie with a 3-1 scoreline. UP won the first singles match 0-3 only for FEU to win the next three matches 3-1, 3-2, and 3-1.
UST’s Lady Tigresses demolished the Lady Maroons in three straight matches (3-2, 3-0 and 3-0).
The Lady Maroons’ wins came at the expense of NU, ADMU, AdU, and UE. UP swept ADMU and NU with 3-0 scorelines, while they conceded a match, but still won 3-1 against AdU and UE.
The 4-3 record that the Lady Maroons attained for the first elimination round gave them a fourth place finish in the current standings.
While all is not lost for the Lady Maroons, they have to improve if they want to reclaim that UAAP Women’s Table Tennis Championship this Season 78.
