The University of the East Lady Warriors showed grit and determination to end their 18-tie losing streak. The lady shuttlers from Recto had to go through the ringer, but in the end, edged out the University of Santo Tomas Golden Shuttlers, 3-2, and snapped that skid and closed out their season with a victory.
It was the España-based squad who got to the board first after Angelic Panotes secured her first-ever UAAP win, taking down Erycka Labay in three sets in the first singles match. The Tomasina carved out the close 21-18, 14-21, 21-19 victory to put her squad on top at 1-0.
Super senior Sugar Vizmonte could not make it two-for-two for UST, as Heide Rosal equalized for the Lady Warriors at 21-17, 21-19 in the second singles match.
The two teams then split the doubles matches once more, forcing the third singles match as the decider.
The Golden Shuttlers regained the lead after Elizabeth Pimentel and Vizmonte took care of Labay and Pamela Fernandez, 21-12, 21-23, 21-9, in the first of these two-versus-two contests. The Rosal sisters, Heide and Lyra then leveled the tie again, cruising past Evan Teope and Panotes in straight sets at 21-11, 21-15.
Fittingly, it was fourth-year player Lyra Rosal who took the court for UE in an attempt to have a rousing farewell.
Pimentel denied Lyra Rosal of the first game at 21-16, but the Lady Warriors’ graduating player played with all her heart in the next two sets to gift her school a win at 21-19, 21-16.
After the win, the emotional Lyra Rosal expressed, “Sobrang happy ako kasi ginawa ko yung best ko kasi last year ko na; at least may panalo kami, lumaban kami hanggang huli. We did our best, so may kinalabasan [yung ginawa namin.]”
Prior to the day, the Lady Warriors just focused on wanting the win. The elder Rosal shared, “Nasa isip namin na kailangang ipanalo namin ‘to, sa ‘min ‘to. Dapat gawin namin yung best namin, kahit anong mangyari para manalo kami.”
With the win, the Lady Warriors prevented a winless campaign and matched their win total from Season 77, where they ended at 1-6.
The Golden Shuttlers (0-5) will try to rescue theirs as they face the semis-seeking Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles (3-2) on Thursday, October 5 at 1pm.
