Reigning champion Far Eastern University, University of Santo Tomas, and De La Salle University opened their respective campaigns with strong performances, claiming a share of the lead after the first day of the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Women’s Table Tennis Team Event on Sunday at Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City.
Chrishein Santillan made her presence felt in FEU’s second tie against UP, fueling the Lady Tamaraws’ strong 2–0 start after they had earlier cruised past Adamson University in the tournament backed by Huaching Foundation and Topcoms Marketing Company.
The transferee from the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA impressed against UP rookie Bethel Sadora, scoring an 11–7, 11–3, 11–9 victory to put FEU one win away from completing its sweep of the day’s assignments.
“Ok naman, and mina-maximize namin lahat ng players namin, para pagdating ng tougher na mga kalaban, maging prepared kami. At the same time, masisilip na rin namin kung ano pa kailangan naming adjustments,” said the 22-year-old standout on their strong start.
Krisha Reyes also played a pivotal role in both ties, closing out each contest in the doubles matches alongside Shairah Gabisay against the Lady Falcons and Mikylla Dinauano against the Fighting Maroons.
Reyes and Gabisay defeated Adamson’s Felicity Gonzales and Trisha Ramoneda, 11–7, 11–4, 7–11, 11–3, while Reyes and Dinauano needed an extended battle to turn back UP’s Erica Espinosa and Khorquina Lozada, 10–12, 11–4, 11–6, 8–11, 11–7.
Dinauano opened FEU’s rout of Adamson with an 11–7, 12–10, 11–6 victory over Trinthel Calucin before Christine Golez made it 2–0 with an 11–9, 11–6, 12–10 win against Khaz Saturno.
Cate Sarmiento put the Lady Tamaraws on the board against UP with an emphatic 11–3, 11–7, 11–1 victory, setting the stage for the doubles clincher by Reyes and Dinauano.
UST and La Salle also joined FEU in a share of the women’s standings lead after completing their respective assignments with winning records.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
The UST Lady Paddlers swept both Adamson and UE, while the DLSU Lady Green Paddlers dominated UP, 3–0, before turning back the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 3–1.
Two different doubles pairs delivered the victories for UST, the Season 87 champions. Kaye Encarnacion and Micah Ternate defeated Adamson’s Darlene Ayco and Wayne Cutab, 11–5, 11–3, 11–5, in the morning tie, while Honey Maliquid and Ricci Sausa capped the day with a 14–12, 12–10, 11–4 victory over UE’s Ainsley Ramos and Resala Balamal.
Former High School Girls’ MVP J-An Sanchez also made a strong impression in her collegiate debut, sweeping Saturno, 11–6, 11–3, 11–9, before Trexiemay Alarcon made it 2–0 against Adamson with an 11–6, 11–2, 11–3 victory.
Against UE, Keya Manada and Althea Gudes secured the two singles points for UST. Manada escaped past Daisy Calo, 11–4, 12–10, 11–6, before Gudes edged Amira Baholoy, 11–5, 11–4, 12–10.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
La Salle, meanwhile, sent off its campaign with a reverse-sweep victory over UP, courtesy of Cello Caoile and Sharina Mendoza, who rallied past Faye Obaña and Sadora, 5–11, 7–11, 11–4, 13–11, 11–5.
Rookie Leslie Faye Dizon then made it two-for-two for the Lady Green Paddlers with an 11–6, 11–2, 11–8 sweep of Ateneo’s Trisha Pachica.
Kaira Agreda, a UAAP champion with UST during her high school days, showed composure in a 11–5, 9–11, 11–6, 11–7 victory over UP’s Althaea Salvador before national team standout Angel Laude made it two, cruising past Maan Gumobao, 11–5, 11–2, 11–7.
In their afternoon encounter with Ateneo, Laude helped spark DLSU’s comeback after Jelaine Monteclaro gave the Blue Eagles the early lead.
Monteclaro shook off Kimberly Amandy, 11–7, 11–8, 5–11, 11–5, but Laude quickly responded with an 11–8, 11–4, 11–8 victory over the returning Aizel Rom.
Caoile and Mendoza once again delivered for the Lady Green Paddlers, rallying past Sophia Fabregar and Aubrey Solis, 7–11, 11–7, 12–10, 11–8, to set up Dizon’s clinching performance.
The Blue Eagles, meanwhile, finished the day with a 1–1 record, good for solo fourth, after opening their campaign with a 3–1 victory over the Lady Warriors.
Andrea Deondo sealed the win by navigating past Jhercy Valenzuela, 11–7, 11–9, 10–12, 11–3, after Fabregar and Solis had regained the lead for Ateneo in the doubles match.
Rom, a former Rookie of the Year with the FEU Lady Tamaraws, earlier put the Blue Eagles ahead with an 11–2, 11–3, 11–4 rout of Gem Noman. Calo then leveled the tie with an 11–7, 11–8, 11–8 victory over Pachica.
