Metea Valley badminton gets the team chants going before a home matchup with Neuqua Valley and even the coaches are getting into it. The Mustangs enter fresh off a win over Waubonsie Valley while the Wildcats are red hot coming off a shutout victory over Naperville Central.
Doubles
Let’s start with number one doubles as Neuqua’s Bhavi Barnwal and Helen Zhao facing Metea’s Sophia Wang and Vivian Kok. In the first set the Wildcat duo come out on fire winning by a big margin 21-8. However in the second set it be a lot more intense as Kok and Wang tighten things up and take set 2 by the skin of their teeth 22-20. As Barnwal can’t get the birdie to land in play. Third set is also a great one as Kok and Wang battle back from a really tough opening set. The Mustang duo completes the comeback with a 21-19 set three win.
To the number two doubles as the Mustangs continue their fast start. Anjana Viswanathan and Sreeja Gadepalli show little mercy in set 1 against Neuqua’s Anjana Bharadwaj and Cynthia Zhang as the Mustang dominate in the first winning 21-7. Zhang and Bharadwaj are able to make set 2 much more competitive. But the Mustang pair still finds a way to bring out the brooms winning this in a clean sweep.
Neuqua gets help from the number three doubles as Gowri Salem and Shruti Panse take down the Mustang duo of Mirudhula Vlemurugan and Mayling Alonso. Salem and Panse take both sets by scores of 21-9 and 21-7.
Singles
However there’s more in badminton to be played as we jump to the singles and here is Salem again in one singles. Both sets are close but the Wildcat is able to take the two sets over Mustang number one Sophia Wang. Salem takes the win 21-14 and 21-18.
Now to the number two singles and here’s Bhavi Barnwal again wanting some revenge against Vivian Kok after falling in the one doubles match. In set number 1 it was close but Barnwal is able to smack the birdie into the floor, taking the first set by 2 points. Set two is also a close one but Barnwal keeps her composure and gets the two set victory by the slimmest of margins. Scores of 21-19 in both sets.
Despite the early struggles with doubles the Wildcats win 11 of 12 matches the rest of the meet as Neuqua’s Helen Zhao sweeps her way to victory in three singles by scores of 21-6 and 21-7. Neuqua Valley badminton picks up another DVC win, 12-3 over the Mustangs.
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