The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazing Paddlers fell short in their quest to defend their championship crown while the Lady Paddlers claimed a back-to-back bronze medal on Nov. 16 at the St. Placid Sports Complex at San Beda University in Manila City.
Entering the semis
The Benilde Blazing Paddlers and Benilde Lady Paddlers were equipped with a twice-to-beat advantage in their semifinal matchups, but the path to the championship put them through an emotional rollercoaster. The men in green and white steamrolled the Mapua University (MU) Paddlers with a clean sweep, 3-0, sending them straight to defend their title in the championship match.
On the other hand, the Benilde Lady Paddlers jousted with the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (UPHSD) Altas as they attempted to punch their golden ticket. However, the ladies in green and white lost, 2-3, forcing a high-stake second round against the ladies in maroon and gold. The Taft Squad lost their footing and succumbed to the Las Piñas Squad with a soul-crushing blow, 1-3, sending them to the Battle for Third.
Battle for Third
The Lady Paddlers exhibited a display of mastery and control on the table against the Mapua University (MU) Lady Paddlers as they fought for the bronze medal. Jasmine Tayag and Gytha Sophia Valdez both led their respective singles matches with an unblemished performance, 3-0. Alexandra Reyes and Ricci Villa proved to be a powerhouse as they outgunned their opponents in the doubles round, 3-0, to claim a straight-set victory and secure the second runner-up finish.
The final stage
Meanwhile, the Blazing Paddlers head into battle against the San Beda University (SBU) Red Lions, with Neo Laudato claiming the first singles match of the game 3-1. James Deocareza faced a rout, unable to keep his footing against their opponent, 0-3.
Twin players Ervin Garcia and Arvin Garcia proved to be a dynamic duo, however the Red Lions hunted them down with another clean sweep, 0-3. Laudato returned to hunt down the red and white cladded lions with a mission to keep their reigning legacy alive to no avail, 2-3. The Taft squad suffered a nail-biting shutout against their opponents with a 2-3 record, snatching their hopes for the crown away.
In an exclusive post-tournament interview with The Benildean, Coach Bong Palmero illustrated their preparations for the landmark season, “Lagi kaming nagte-training, kasama na dun ‘yung physical, technical, at mental conditioning namin. Plus, my experience, shine-share ko sa team.”
“Well, sa women’s [team] maganda naman ‘yung development namin, nakakuha kami ng new recruits, but unfortunately we ended up third place pa rin, katulad nung last year, but we [had] a good fight. Tapos sa men’s [team], champion kami last year, [however] we failed to defend our crown, so we became second. But, we will bounce back next year,” Coach Bong added.
The Lady Paddlers overran the Cardinals securing the bronze in the women’s division, while the Blazing Paddlers settled for the silver medal in the men’s division.
The Lady Paddlers concluded this season with a 5-3 win record, while the Benilde Blazing Paddlers had an unblemished run until the finals game, 7-1, to conclude the season.
