A new set of trophies and accolades head home to Diliman as the University of the Philippines (UP) Badminton Varsity Team (BVT) closes off its UAAP Season 88 campaign on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.
The Fighting Maroons notched an improvement in the rankings with a second-place finish in the men’s division, while the eight-woman collective captured bronze to extend their medal run.
Silver still shines
From three consecutive seasons ending in bronze, the UP Men’s Badminton Team upgraded to a silver finish after erasing a seven-year absence in the Finals to face eventual champions Ateneo Blue Eagles, 0-3.
UP’s Jelo Albo kicked off the Maroons’ gold medal bid against UAAP Season 88 Rookie of the Year Jamal Pandi, with Albo’s veteran tactics faltering under the newcomer’s aggression, leading to a 15-21, 19-21 defeat to put State U at an early 0-1 disadvantage.
After a 17-21 first set loss, Kervin Llanes stole the second frame from Season 88 MVP Lyrdren Laborte with a commanding 21-15 win, but was ultimately thwarted in equalizing the series after an 8-21 beatdown to push UP at the brink of elimination.
The duo of Albo and Mark Bernal failed to sustain their hot start at the first doubles match against Pandi and Arthur Salvado as they fumbled during the set extension, allowing the Blue Eagles to escape with a 22-24 scoreline.
Backs against the wall, the State U duo found little to no answers as they fell to an 11-21 hole as the Katipunan-based squad flew away with their eighth championship.
While a step short of this season’s goal, team captain JM Estrada had nothing but praise for the team’s efforts throughout the tournament.
“Nagbunga lahat ng mga pinaghirapan namin, bawat isa sa‘min, parang walang nasayang,” said the graduating skipper.
With the roster loaded with young and upcoming talents, Estrada admired the growth they had not only as a player, but also as people beyond the courts.
“As a kuya nila, Sobrang proud ako sa kanila. Kasi hindi lang sa laro nag level-up, pati sa mga acads nila, sa mga buhay nila,” he added.
The Diliman-based squad finished the eliminations at third place at a 3-2 record before trouncing defending champions National University (NU) in a 3-1 upset to gain passage to the Finals.
Hard fought, hard earned
After a shock exit at the semifinals, the UP Women’s BVT made sure to finish strong as it wrapped up the season with a commanding 3-0 win in the Battle for Third over the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Lady Shutters.
In her last playing year, veteran Susmita “Sushi” Ramos delivered one final win for State U against UST’s Reshine Nicor with a 21-19 thriller in the first set before a 22-20 comeback win in the second for a 1-0 team-tie advantage.
Season 87 MVP Thea Gonzales swiftly followed suit at the second singles bout after dismantling UST newcomer Hanie De Jesus in straight sets, 21-15, 21-8, to tip the Fighting Maroons at series point.
To close the series, the rookie-mainstay connection of Krissa De Leon and Trisha Postrano broke through the solid pairing of Jennifer Saladaga and Rhafi Santos to secure twin, tightly-contested 21-18 victories and ensure UP’s spot at the podium.
In addition to their podium finish, the future shines bright for the Fighting Maroons with newcomer Brys Fuggan bagging Rookie of the Year honors alongside UST’s De Jesus.
Fuggan is the second consecutive Maroon to bring home the plum, with Shan Clar receiving the award for the men’s division last season.
After missing the finals for the first time since Season 82, Ramos admitted that it was a bittersweet finale for her and the team.
“Nakakalungkot siya, but at the same time nakakatuwa kasi hindi kami nawala sa podium,” the veteran shared.
While falling short of bagging back-to-back titles, the 25-year-old player said their third-place finish attests to the team’s season-long hard work and sacrifice.
“Hindi siya namin tine-take na ‘ay bronze [lang] ‘to’ kasi para sa amin, pinaghirapan pa rin namin ‘tong podium finish na ‘to.” she added.
UP WBT rose as the league’s second seed with a 4-1 record during the eliminations phase before being denied a return to the championship round after a heartbreaking 2-3 loss to the NU Lady Bulldogs in the semis.
UP Men’s BVT Team-Tie score: UP-Ateneo: 0-3
1st Singles: Albo (L 15-21, 19-21)
2nd Singles: Llanes (L 17-21, 21-15, 21-8)
1st Doubles: Albo/Bernal (L 22-24, 11-21)
UP Women’s BVT Team-Tie score: UP-Ateneo: 3-0
1st Singles: Ramos (W 21-19, 22-20)
2nd Singles: Gonzales (W 21-15, 21-8)
1st Doubles: De Leon/Postrano (W 21-18, 21-18)
