Last October 22, both the Men’s and Women’s teams of Ateneo de Manila University ruled the UAAP Season 88 Badminton Finals at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in Malate, Manila.
Semis: UP Dethrones Reigning Champs N.U. in Men’s
Last October 21, the semis matches between University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons versus the National University Bulldogs and Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles versus the De La Salle University Green Archers happened.
UP ended National University’s (NU) long reign with a 3–1 triumph.
The Fighting Maroons started strong with commanding singles wins. However, the Bulldogs kept their title hopes alive as they trim UP’s lead to 2–1. The deciding point came from rookies Arjay Lazareto and Ryan Mendoza, who overcame a first-game loss to prevail in a tense second doubles match against John Benedict Gam and James Villarante, 19–21, 21–13, 21–19.
The duo’s composure under pressure sealed UP’s first Finals berth since Season 81 (2018).
Meanwhile, Ateneo leaned on the leadership and consistency of Season 86 co-MVP Lyrden Laborte, who delivered another dominant performance to propel the Blue Eagles to the championship round.
La Salle’s veteran duo Joshua Morada and Yuan Tan forced a deciding set in the doubles rubber, but Laborte and Robby Ramos held firm in the final moments to complete the sweep.
Semis: N.U. Clinches First Ever Badminton Finals in Women’s
In the women’s division, the UP Fighting Maroons fought the N.U. Lady Bulldogs and the ADMU Blue Eagles played against the University of Santo Tomas.
The Lady Bulldogs, who had fallen short of the title round in previous seasons, finally broke through after overcoming a 1–2 deficit against the Fighting Maroons.
The turning point for NU came in the deciding singles match, where Karyll Rio showed remarkable poise and grit to outlast UP’s Susmita Ramos in a three-set thriller. Rio dominated the opening set, stumbled in the second, but regrouped to close out the match sealing the Lady Bulldogs’ maiden Finals appearance.
In the other semis matchup, Ateneo continued its dominant run toward a potential repeat, steamrolling UST in straight matches to punch its ticket to the Finals. Three-time Philippine Badminton Open champion Mika De Guzman spearheaded the rout, winning both her singles and doubles assignments.
Finals: ADMU Reclaims the Throne with Perfect Season in Men’s
ADMU completed an unforgettable campaign, sweeping the entire UAAP Season 88 men’s badminton tournament and clinching its sixth overall title with a commanding 3–0 victory over the University of the Philippines (UP).
In the historic first-ever Battle of Katipunan Finals, the Blue Eagles were unstoppable from start to finish, capping off a perfect 7–0 season.
Rookie standout JR Pandi, fresh off national team duty at the World Junior Championships in India, set the tone early with a powerful performance in the opening singles match. Pandi stunned his Smash Pilipinas senior Jelo Albo, 21–15, 21–19, controlling the tempo with sharp attacks and smart defense to secure the early lead.
Team co-captain and eventual Season 88 MVP Lyrden Laborte followed with a gritty comeback win in the second singles rubber. After dropping the first game to Kervin Llanes, 17–21, Laborte regrouped and unleashed relentless consistency to take the next two sets, 21–15, 21–8, giving Ateneo a 2–0 cushion.
Pandi returned to the court for the doubles match alongside graduating senior Arthur Salvado Jr., where the duo outlasted Albo and Mark Anthony Bernal in a thrilling 24–22, 21–11 victory to seal the sweep and Ateneo’s championship glory.
For head coach Kennie Asuncion-Robles, last year’s runner-up finish only fueled Ateneo’s hunger for redemption.
“Definitely, it was one of the factors in this win, kasi dinibdib ng players ‘yon. Sabi talaga nila, that’s what we’re gonna work for,”
“We never took anything for granted… Alam naming upsets can happen, and we were prepared for every challenge.” said Asuncion-Robles.
In the battle for bronze, National University (NU) bounced back from its semifinal exit to defeat De La Salle University, 3–1.
Former MVP Lanz Zafra led the charge, sweeping both his singles and doubles matches.
Meanwhile, La Salle’s Lovic Javier salvaged a point for the Green Archers and was later named Rookie of the Year, sharing the award with Ateneo’s Pandi.
Finals: De Guzman Leads Ateneo to Another Crown
Graduating captain Mika De Guzman capped her storied collegiate career in perfect fashion, spearheading the Lady Eagles’ ninth championship and her fifth straight Finals appearance.
In her final singles match, De Guzman crushed Hailene Diaz, 21–8, 21–8, in just 20 minutes, asserting control from the first rally and never allowing her opponent to recover.
Sophomore Althea Ocampo, the Season 87 Rookie of the Year, followed suit with a comeback victory over NU’s ace Ysabel Amora, 17–21, 21–12, 21–13, placing Ateneo one win away from the crown.
With momentum fully on their side, De Guzman returned to the court for the doubles match with co-captain Jochelle Alvarez, where the duo sealed the deal with a decisive 21–6, 21–10 triumph over Amora and Gwyneth Desacola.
“Of course I am very happy and proud of the team, that we were able to bring the double gold back to Ateneo. So just really happy and proud of everyone,” said De Guzman.
The victory also marked a fitting redemption story after falling short last year. Head coach Kennie Asuncion-Robles, who guided both Ateneo squads, praised her players’ resilience and depth.
“Definitely, maraming learnings from what happened last year, so talagang gutom sila to take it back,” she said.
“We had good recruitment and it played a big role, kasi hindi sobrang pagod ‘yung players mo. It was really a big help.”
Domination from the Blue Eagles in Season 88
Ateneo’s twin triumphs in UAAP Season 88 badminton perfectly showcased the program’s culture of excellence, depth, and resilience.
Both the men’s and women’s teams displayed composure under pressure, turning last season’s setbacks into motivation for redemption.
The leadership of veterans like Mika De Guzman and Lyrden Laborte, along with rookies such as JR Pandi, highlighted Ateneo’s balance of experience and youth.
