La Salle lady netters blank Ateneo to clinch UAAP crown

Ma. Regina Santiago outclassed national player Michelle Pang to power La Salle to its second consecutive women’s tennis crown with a 4-0 blanking of Ateneo on Wednesday in the UAAP women’s tennis tournament at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center. Santiago handed Pang her first and only loss of her collegiate career via a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory to seal the Lady Archers’ title, their fifth since the inception of women’s tennis in 2001. Santiago, last year’s Rookie of the Year, went on to win the Most Valuable Player honors. Martina Guba defeated Mary Grace Rivero, 6-0, 6-0, while twins Maria Raisa Carla Opulencia and Maria Aura Opulencia downed the tandem of Angela Monique Angelo and Jessica Lagman, 6-1, 6-1. Minutes after Santiago’s win, last year’s MVP Trudy Amoranto and Kirstie Barraquias beat Ivy De Castro and Joan Opulencia, 6-4, 6-4, to complete the victory. "I was erratic in the first set but I got back by consistently using my power game," said the 17-year-old Santiago from Muntinlupa City. La Salle steamrolled to the elimination round, carding four straight wins before losing to the Lady Eagles, 3-2, last February 5, stalling the Lady Archers’ quest for an outright title via a sweep. The Lady Archers, however, got back their winning form with a 3-2 win over University of the Philippines in the final day of the elimination round last Saturday to finish with a 5-1 record. Meanwhile, Sarah Jane Lim of third-placer University of the Philippines captured the Rookie of the Year honors. – Reuben Terrado, JVP, KY, GMA News