University of Santo Tomas completed a remarkable turnaround in the elimination round to secure the second seed in the UAAP Season 89 High School Girls’ Table Tennis Team Event Final Four on Tuesday at Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City.
After suffering a stunning defeat to the National Academy of Sports, the reigning champions bounced back with five consecutive victories, including identical 3-1 wins over University of the Philippines Integrated School and University of the East on the final day of the eliminations.
“I gave them hope. Pero, I also told them na they could not lose to any more teams. Dapat hindi naman kami ‘yung magbigay, kung pwedeng zero, go, pero ang importante manalo,” said longtime head coach Lorinda Wajad, recalling how she challenged her players to respond after their setback against the league newcomers.
Xyra Malaluan set the tone for the Junior Lady Paddlers against both UPIS and UE, outlasting Andrea Acuzar in a marathon, 11-9, 13-15, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8, before sweeping Allaine Alexis Lopez, 11-9, 11-2, 11-9, respectively.
Julianne Bandojo gave UST a 2-0 lead against UPIS with an 11-5, 13-11, 7-11, 11-6 victory over Pia Ducanes, but Mary Angelique Diolola and Alishia Buquid pulled one back for the Junior Lady Maroons with a 12-10, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7 win over Louise Manay and Francheska Tenorio.
Adelle Leopoldo then sealed the victory for UST with an emphatic 11-2, 11-1, 11-0 sweep of Lourd Clataro.
UE’s Farhana Abdul quickly responded to Malaluan’s opening win, leveling the tie with an 11-8, 11-4, 11-8 victory over Leopoldo. However, Shaira Puentespina and Karishma Cac restored UST’s advantage with a 9-11, 11-5, 15-13, 11-9 win.
Manay then outlasted Camille Apilo, 12-10, 11-8, 4-11, 15-13, to wrap up the Junior Lady Paddlers’ fifth consecutive victory.
UST will take on De La Salle Santiago Zobel School in Wednesday’s Final Four, scheduled for 10 a.m.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
NAS, meanwhile, completed a perfect 6-0 sweep of the elimination round, closing its campaign with 3-0 victories over Ateneo de Manila University and Adamson University.
Ghianne Cordova teamed up with two different partners to help secure both victories. The 18-year-old first joined forces with Noemi Nueva to sweep Ateneo’s Carmen Mangubat and Keera Guba, 11-3, 11-4, 11-7, before partnering with Zoellen Samson in an 11-4, 11-5, 11-7 victory over Adamson’s Laura Clanor and Ravilyn Depiedra.
The Excel Lions will face UE in the semifinals.
On the boys’ side, UST and NAS likewise secured the top two seeds in the Final Four, setting up semifinal encounters against Adamson and UE, respectively.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
The defending champions from UST swept both Ateneo and UE, 3-0, to finish the elimination round with a perfect 6-0 record, with Franz Acasio once again leading the way.
Acasio made quick work of Blue Eagle Timothy Pachica, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7, in the morning before closing his elimination-round campaign with a victory over UE ace Kian Sumadsad, 11-9, 11-6, 4-11, 7-11, 11-4.
Joshua Bañas gave UST a 2-0 lead against Ateneo with an 11-2, 11-5, 11-2 win before Collins Canalin and Paul Agunod completed the sweep, 11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4.
Against UE, Emmanuel Paculba doubled UST’s advantage with an 11-6, 12-10, 11-6 victory over Mike Nicol. Canalin and Agunod then closed out the eliminations with an 11-2, 11-13, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6 thriller over Joemarey Manucduc and John Kenneth Cauilan.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Meanwhile, the Excel Lions swept UPIS, 3-0, before turning back DLSZ, 3-1, to claim the second seed with a 5-1 record.
Prince Maminta delivered the decisive points in both encounters, first teaming up with Jakob Quindo for an 11-2, 11-2, 11-6 rout of UPIS’ Daniel Luna and Ringer Manlangit before securing a solo victory over DLSZ’s Ezekiel Vicente, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7.
The third-place playoffs are scheduled for 12 noon, with the one-off championship matches in both divisions set to follow at 3 p.m.
