By Michael Reff
NCTTA Media Committee

The battle for glory and the top rank in college table tennis is going to transpire in nearly two weeks. Players from all over the USA and Canada are getting ready to paddle it out amidst stiff competition. For the most part, many student athletes are representing their school either in teams, singles, or a combination of the two, however, there are a small contingent of players that are the sole representatives of their teams and will have to travel alone, relying on their own drive to propel them forward through the rounds of play.

These “Lone Rangers” are passionate about displaying their schools’ colors but recognize they will have to make up for the lack of physical team cheering by being extra ferocious when fighting for each point.

One such player is University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) student Deven De Leon. De Leon even got the verbal stamp of approval by NCTTA president Willy Leparulo for being “the most passionate player” at his South Regionals competition.

De Leon remarks on being the sole qualifier on behalf of UTSA for Nationals,

“I’d have to say it feels a bit bitter sweet, on one hand it’s pretty cinematic and cool to come in a underdog on his own who made some upsets at regionals and almost made a major upset against a 2200 losing 14-12 in the fifth. And knowing I canmake [sic] it out of groups. On the other hand there’s the feeling like I’m not getting to play as much as I can, and the regret of not being good enough as a coach or player to take my team here with me.”

According to De Leon, he is a true team player and so he feels down about not being able to root for his team at the Nationals, but it gives him motivation to “do my best.”

Another Lone Ranger is University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill student Elvin Liu. He is extremely satisfied with qualifying for the single’s competition on behalf of his school. A noteworthy fact is that Liu was a late bloomer to table tennis and only began his ponging journey when he “came to college 3 years ago.”

He confesses that he “had no forehand at that time” and “was just looking for a ping pong club to hit with.” He says he’s still in awe at the great improvements he’s made since joining the team and is grateful and “excited to meet and play with all the good players representing their respective colleges...” at Round Rock come April.

Congratulations to these solo warriors, imbuing their teams’ spirit through individual glory!

Photo of UTSA player Deven De Leon (Photo Credit: Bruce Eichman)

About 2022 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships
The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and the Round Rock CVB. Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, and Men’s/Coed Teams, Women’s Teams. The event is sponsored by Double Happiness, Double Fish and Joola.
Watch the event on live stream starting Friday April 8th on champs.nctta.org

About NCTTA
The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively for promoting the sport of table tennis at the college level. As the national governing body for college table tennis in the United States and Canada, NCTTA organizes elite intercollegiate competition throughout North America. www.nctta.org