By Maxine Agno

The Ateneo High School (AHS) Table Tennis team faced a challenging first-round opening to their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 campaign, held on Saturday, November 15, at the Amoranto Stadium. Though both boys’ and girls’ teams suffered losses, their focus remains on the preparation and growth of the young athletes. 

Ateneo vs. UST

In their first ties of the day, University of Santo Tomas (UST) secured the sweep, but Ateneo made them work for it. 

In the boys’ division, the first match saw Reily Yap battle hard against Emmanuel Paculba Jr., falling short with the scores of 2–11, 7–11, and 8–11. 

Boys’ Team Captain Matt Basco and Rajel Quiming partnered up in a doubles play against Ramon Canalin and Jhiven Clamucha, ultimately falling in straight games at 6–11, 6–11, 3–11. Similarly, Timothy Pachica failed to clinch a win from Joshua Bañas, ending their face-off with 3–11, 7–11, and 4–11.

In the girls’ division, Louisse Ang was unable to break through the strong defense of Kaira Agreda, ending at 4–11, 3–11, 4–11. Zechariah Gamez also succumbed to a straight-game loss, 6–11, 6–11, 2–11, to Shaira Puentespina. 

The doubles pair of Liz Estanislao and Andrea Mangubat, likewise encountered strong competition, losing with a 3–11, 1–11, 4–11 tally to Tiger Cubs Louise Manay and Kiara Espiritu. 

Ateneo Boys vs DLSZ

Against De La Salle Zobel (DLSZ), Ateneo suffered another 0-3 defeat. Aston Panlaqui demonstrated fighting spirit by clutching the first game with a deuce before Ezekiel Vicente adjusted and took the next three, 12–10, 2–11, 4–11, 7–11. 

Pachica showed resilience, winning the third game against Darius Austria after trailing two losses, 4–11, 8–11, 11–8, 6–11.

The duo of Basco and Quiming gave Enzoe David and Junyu Long a tough battle, ultimately sealing the win, 11–4, 11–8, 11–9. 

Ateneo Girls vs AdU

The girls’ team then dropped a 0-3 face-off to Adamson University (AdU). The pair of Ang and Mangubat struggled to gain momentum against partners Ravilyn Depiedra and Elainne Isagon, losing 9–11, 2–11, 9–11. 

Gamez showed competitive heart by claiming one game from Clanor from a deuce, 8–11, 12–10, 5–11, 8–11. Meanwhile, Kate Manapul took a consistent score of 3–11 in all three games against Dindi Suarez.

Mindset and Preparation 

Basco shared insights of the team’s mindset and rigorous training leading up to the tournament, highlighting the team’s focus beyond just wins.

“My expectation is for the team to win as [many] games as possible, but the main thing is to have fun,” he shared. “Being able to compete in UAAP is an opportunity not a lot of people get, so I always remind them to enjoy the moment.”

Basco also detailed the need for intense training to prepare the team’s new members for the high-pressure UAAP environment.

“Compared to [the last seasons], we followed a more strict and consistent training schedule … with the addition of having morning [training] so that we wouldn’t interfere with the college.” 

Despite the initial setbacks, a positive outlook serves as their foundation for the season. The Blue Eagles will return to the tables for the second-day matches on November 16 at the Amoranto Stadium, ready to showcase their progress and fighting spirit in the face of adversity.