A thrilling match occurred between last year’s silver medalists, DLSU, and this year’s underdogs, UP last August 13, 2014. UP was able to eek out a victory by breaking a 2-2 tie through their win at the final set. With this victory, and the loss of FEU to Ateneo, UP now holds solo first place in the Women’s Division.
Women’s Singles 1: Mary Anne Maranon(UP) def. Irish Montilla(DLSU) 2:0
UP 1- 0 DLSU
The opening match saw La Salle’s Montilla open the set with an early lead, 12-8. However, momentum would soon tilt in favor of UP’s Maranon, as she would go on to outscore her opponent 7-2 in the next few minutes to overtake Montilla. The La Salle shuttler would however find a way to answer back to Maranon’s attacks. Another rally by Maranon however would give her four straight points and give her the 20-17 edge. Though Montilla would get one more point, Maranon only need to hold for her 21st point and escape with UP’s first game point after a 21-18 victory in the set. The second game saw the two shuttlers trade points early on. Maranon would rely on a rally however to take a 12-8 lead. Though Montilla would prove more aggressive in attacking and responding to her opponent’s every challenge, she would lose momentum after finally drawing at 17-all, as Maranon capitalized on the La Salle shuttler slowing down to take in four straight points to close out the first match and give UP the match point, after a 21-17 game victory.
Aggregate score: Maranon -42, Montilla- 35
Total match time: 30 mins
Women’s Singles 2: Alyssa Leonardo(DLSU) def. Jessie Francisco(UP) 2:0
UP 1-1 DLSU
The first game saw the two lady shuttlers trade points in a back-and-forth affair clearly headed to a close game. La Salle’s Leonardo would eventually gain the upper hand, 15-14, and would go on to take in four straight points to bring the score to 19-14. Leonardo and Francisco would split the next two points. With the score at 20-15, UP’s Francisco would suddenly rally for four more points and narrow in on the lead and force a deadlock, but Leonardo would eventually keep steady and take her 21st point to win the game and give La Salle their first game point, 21-19. The second set would see another tight duel between the two shuttlers, though Leonardo would rely on a brief but crucial tilt that gave her the 14-11 edge. With Francisco doing just enough to answer her opponent’s attacks without forcing her to give up enough points to errors, Leonardo would eventually hold on for La Salle, 21-18, and even the match score at 1-1.
Aggregate score: Leonardo- 42, Francisco- 37
Total match time: 35 mins.
Women’s Doubles 1: Alyssa Leonardo and Aires Amor Montilla(DLSU) def. Marina Caculitan and Mary Ann Maranon 2:1
UP 1- 2 DLSU
The first doubles match between the two schools saw Leonardo return to the court fresh from her singles victory for La Salle, and Maranon returning for UP after winning the first singles match. Though the two schools would trade rallies upon the start of the first game, the squads would soon begin answering with each other back and forth with points for every serve. The UP duo would eventually take an 18-16 lead. The next few minutes saw Montilla and Maranon come in big for their partners, with most of the game’s last points being awarded to them. However, it was Caculitan who held on to aid her partner by scoring the elusive 21st point and give UP the game point, 21-18. The second game saw another rallies, but it was the La Salle duo would come up bigger, going on slow but effective rallies that stymied UP’s attacks to take the game point, 21-17 and force another set. Again, Leonardo and Montilla were able to suppress UP’s scoring, marching to 17-12. Though Caculitan and Maranon were able to respond with short rallies of their own, it was La Salle’s shuttlers who had the last say, escaping with a 21-16 victory for the game and overtake UP in match points, 2-1, after a grueling sixty-five minutes.
Aggregate score: Leonardo and Montilla- 60, Caculitan and Maranon- 54
Total match time: 65 mins
Women’s Doubles 2: Jessie Francisco and Maria Elisha Ongcuangco(UP) def. Kristelle Dawn Salatan and Danica San Ignacio(DLSU) 2:0
UP 2- 2 DLSU
Francisco once more retuned for UP, paired up with Ongcuango, playing her first match, against La Salle’s Salatan and San Ignacio, both of whom were also suiting up for the first time that day. After trading rallies, the squads from Taft and Diliman found themselves in a 15-15 deadlock. A tilt for Ongcuangco would however give UP a 19-16 lead, after a hot few minutes for the squad from Diliman. Francisco would then on go on to rake in two points to notch the 21-16 game victory. The UP shuttlers once again came strong, almost scoring three points for every two La Salle got. Leading 18-15, three straight points courtesy of Ongcuangco would give UP the game and the match 21-15, and bring the match score to 2-2.
Aggregate score: Francisco and Ongcuangco- 42, Salatan and San Ignacio- 31.
Total match time: 42 mins
Women’s Singles 3: Paola Beatriz Bernardo(UP) def. Danica San Ignacio(DLSU) 2:0
UP 3- 2 DLSU
The deciding match saw UP’s Bernardo, playing for the first time that day, pitted against La Salle’s San Ignacio, who had just come from the previous match. San Ignacio earlier had the lead, but Bernardo, after trailing 8-11, would gain momentum and go on an 11-1 rally that would push her to a commanding 18-12 lead. Unable to find the right swats to slow down Bernardo, San Ignacio could only rake in three more points as San Ignacio escaped with a 21-15 victory for the first game point. Bernardo would once again gain the upperhand early on, gaining a 10-6 after an early tilt. Though San Ignacio would soon be able to answer Bernardo’s barrage, Bernardo would once again gain momentum, helping herself to an 18-13 cushion after a few minutes. She would be awarded four more points with San Ignacio getting only one more, to take a 21-14 victory and give UP the point for the day.
Aggregate score: Bernardo- 42, San Ignacio- 29
Total match time: 30 mins
Total Games won:
UP-7
DLSU- 4
