MU Cardinals Tennis Teams rally to podium finishes in NCAA 100 Lawn Tennis

Article by: Marco R. Sunga and Alexa Juliana E. Karaan

Graphics by: Albert Dylan D. David and Crismhil S. Anselmo

Photo by: Luis Iñigo A. Lava

Smashing the competition, the Mapúa Cardinals Lawn Tennis Team brought their A-game onto the court, clinching two podium finishes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 100 Lawn Tennis Tournament. Held from March 4 to March 28 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, the juniors racked up a first runner-up podium finish, while the men’s squad rallied and claimed the second runner-up spot.

MU Roster

Entering the competition with seasoned players, the  Cardinals Lawn Tennis squad featured a men's team composed of Coach and Team Captain Antonio “Al” S. Quiza, Laurenz Quitara, Joaquin de Leon, and Aldwyn Jericho Rosales. Alongside the veterans, promising rookies Teddy Del Rosario, Ezio Martelino, Sean Manubay, Jovanie Pilares, AJ Quiza, and Daniel Rutines also formed the lineup.

On the other hand, the juniors featured standout players Joshua Diva, Coby Castillejo, Andrew Serohijos, Lervin Cunanan, Raphael Villanueva, and Miguel Madrid, while the women’s squad were stacked with players Zhyryn Dislag, Florence Bayogo, Shaira Silva, Jasmine Malarayap, Leona Cardenas, and Aimie Quiza.

The Elims Battle

The men’s team posted a 4-2 final standing by the end of the elimination round, securing a 3-0 win over Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC); 3-0 against San Sebastian College–Recoletos Manila (SSC-R) Golden Stags; 2-1 against San Beda University (SBU) Red Netters, 2-1; and 3-0 over Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL). Despite absorbing two losses against University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD) Acers and defending champions De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), their stellar campaign booked them a slot in the final four.

The juniors secured three wins in their elimination round with a 2-1 victory over SSC-R Golden Stags, a dominant 3-0 sweep against Benilde, and a 2-1 win against the SBU Junior Red Netters. The three victories gave cushion to the home team to absorb a 0-3 loss against the UPHSD Junior Acers, and advance to the semifinals with a twice-to-beat advantage.

Meanwhile, the women’s squad faced a challenging campaign, falling short to secure the much-needed and bow out of a semi-finals berth, taking home lessons to adhere to for the next season.

The Semis Showdown

In the men’s semifinals bout against UPHSD Acers, Mapúa’s Rosales put up a spirited effort, but was outmatched by UPHSD Acer’s Nuguit, in a 0-6, 4-6 matchup. Meanwhile, Team Captain Quiza and Del Rosario’s nail-biting doubles match featured a tight 5-7, 6-7 set against the UPHSD duo Balazo and Cantiga to end the match, 0-2, to settle for a battle for bronze.

The juniors’ twice-to-beat advantage was key in outlasting SSC-R. Joshua Diva bagged the first match (6-4, 2-RET), but SSC-R came back strong, defeating Serohijos (3-6, 2-6) and the doubles team of Villanueva and Cunanan (4-6, 1-6), putting Mapúa behind in 1-2 romp.

In the deciding match, Serohijos fought hard but lost in three sets, 7-5, 6-7, 2-6. Villanueva and Cunanan avenged their preceding teammate to reign victorious in their doubles match, 6-3, 6-0, tying the series. With all eyes set on him, Diva won when SSC-R’s Almiron retired after a 5-3 set in the final singles match, securing Mapúa’s one-way ticket to a thrilling finals showdown against the UPHSD Junior Acers.

The Finals Smash

The men’s team laid it all on the court in their bronze battle against SBU. However, due to extreme heat and worsening player conditions, both teams mutually agreed to retire from the match, resulting to a shared second runner-up honors to wrap the centennial campaign.

On March 25, the highly anticipated final match in the juniors division between MU and UPHSD took place as both teams displayed exceptional skill between rallies where the Cardinals proudly secured the first runner-up finish.

The Aftermath

Following their tournament campaign, Team Captain Al Quiza expressed gratitude to their supporters:

“To the entire Mapúan community—students, faculty, alumni, and passionate supporters—maraming salamat po! Your unwavering support throughout NCAA Season 100 meant the world to us.”

As the season’s end also meant new opportunities for growth, the Team Captain shared, “We’ll take a short break to recover and recharge after a demanding NCAA season.” He added that off-season training will focus on skill enhancement, physical conditioning, and team building. The team is currently participating in the NCAA Season 100 Soft Tennis Tournament.