A come-from-behind win by Patricia Barredo gave the University of Santo Tomas Women’s Badminton Team the narrow 3-2 match victory over Adamson University. After blowing out the first set of the third Women’s Singles match, 17-21. Barredo bounced back against opponent Mikaela Aquino to bag the second and third sets 21-12 and 21-13 to give UST the opening day victory. UST and Adamson had earlier the four matches, with UST’ Airish Ann Macalino and Steffie Denise Aquino winning the first two singles matches and Adamson duos Christine Garin and Geilyn Ochoa and Mikaela Aquino and Jean Lucas bagging Doubles victories to help the Ermita-based squad bounce back.
Women’s Singles 1: Airish Ann Macalino(UST) def. Christine Garin(AdU)
UST 1-0 AdU
After leading early in the first set, Macalino found herself trailing opponent Garin, 15-19. However, momentum would once again tilt in favor of Macalino, as she would hold Garin to only one more point while managing to dish out seven points herself to cruise to a 22-20 first set win. Macalino would come into the second set strong, leading Garin 10-5 early in the set. She would hold on to the lead and close out the match with a 21-14 second set victory.
Aggregate score: Macalino-43, Garin- 34
Total match time: 35 mins
Women’s Singles 2: Steffie Denise Aquino (UST) def. Jean Lucas(AdU)
UST 2-0 AdU
Aquino came in strong for her first match of the day, beating back Adamson’s Jean Lucas 21-16 in the first set. The second set saw Aquino off to another great start, 15-8 but a late tilt gave Lucas a boost to 20-14. Aquino would however hold on to score the decisive 21st point and give UST’s lady shuttlers their second match victory.
Aggregate score: Aquino- 42, Lucas- 30.
Total match time: 40 mins
Women’s Doubles 1: Christine Garin and Gellyn Ochoa(AdU) def. Christine Barredo and Ma. Kristine Gaspar(UST)
UST 2- 1 AdU
A hotly-contested first set saw the schools exchange points. However, the Adamson duo rallied for a tilt that gave Garin and Ochoa three straight points to take a 20-18 edge. The UST shuttlers would respond to hit their 19th point of the match, but another Adamson point would give them their 21st point and first set victory. Garin and Ochoa would maintain their form in the second set, closing out the match with a 21-15 win for the set and securing victory in only 25 minutes.
Aggregate score: Garin and Ochoa- 42, Barredo and Gaspar: 34
Total match time: 25 mins
Women’s Doubles 2: Mikaela Aquino and Jean Lucas(AdU)def. Elaine Vinluan and Ma. Victoria Vizmonte(UST)
UST 2- 2 AdU
Taking the stage for the first time, the UST duo of Vinluan and Vizmonte bagged the first set of the match, 21-16. Aquino and Lucas would however bounce back stronger in the second set, taking on a six-point rally that boosted them to a 20-14 lead. Safely in the lead, the Adamson would hold on for the deciding point and even the score with a 21-16 second set win. The deciding third set saw Adamson slowly build a 19-13 lead. Once again, Aquino and Lucas would hold on to seal the 21-16 set victory over UST, and bringing the game to a 2-2 deadlock.
Aggregate score: Lucas and Aquino- 56, Vinluan and Vizmonte- 52
Total match time: 55 mins
Women’s Singles 3: Patricia Barredo(UST) def. Mikaela Aquino(AdU)
UST3- 2AdU
The deciding match of the game saw a rested Barredo return to the field for UST against Aquino, who had just finished a doubles match with Barredo’s teammates. Despite having just played a three-set match, Aquino closed out the first set, 21-17 to gain the upper hand against Barredo. Barredo would back strong in the second set, taking an early 9-3 lead to start the set. Three straight points after building a 19-12 lead would give Barredo the set and force a third set. Barredo and Aquino, fighting for the day’s game victory, exchanged points for most of the third set. However, after taking a 15-13 lead, Barredo would go on a massive six-point rally to leave her opponent behind a take home the set and the victory for UST.
Aggregate score: Barredo- 49, Aquino- 46
Total match time: 40 mins
Aggregate sets won: UST 7 ADU 5
