NCTTA

TWU Rises to the Top of the College Table Tennis World

Submitted by nctta.president on Mon, 04/04/2016 - 11:01am

Pictured above: Texas Wesleyan Women's team

By Andy Kanengiser

NCTTA Media Chairman

Texas Wesleyan University table tennis players expressed their joy by tossing Coach Jasna Rather into the air after winning the 2016 coed team championship.

Rather landed safely with a big smile on her face at the Round Rock Sports Center on March 27. The coach received a nice lift minutes that Sunday evening after her TWU teams practically made it a clean sweep. The Rams paddled their way to capture four of the six titles at the TMS College Table Tennis National Championships in Round Rock.

Facing rival Mississippi College for the fifth year in a row, Texas Wesleyan’s mighty players refused to repeat what happened a year ago. At the 2015 championships, MC shocked the table tennis world by edging Texas Wesleyan after the formidable Fort Worth squad won 11 consecutive coed team titles.

TWU’s narrow loss in April 2015 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin seemed to put Rather and her talented team on a 24/7 mission to regain the coed team title. And they did it in dramatic fashion as fans cheered loudly in the Lone Star State.

At the championship games in late March near Austin, the TWU Rams defeated newcomer Ohlone College of California and Toronto before squaring off against the Mississippi College Choctaws. Consisting of four superb players from China, the Mississippi College team knocked off California and the University of Texas to reach the finals in the Sports Capital of Texas.

Accolades keep pouring in from fans who watched the action in Round Rock or others seeing the Olympic sport via the NCTTA’s live streaming cameras.

NCTTA President Willy Leparulo led the salute to the new 2016 champs.

“Texas Wesleyan stormed back to the top of college table tennis,’’ Leparulo said. “I predicted last year after Mississippi College won the team competition that it would awake a sleeping giant (Texas Wesleyan.’’

And when all was said and done, Texas Wesleyan flexed its muscles with its contingent of stars. The TWU Rams are the United Nations of table tennis with players coming from China, Germany, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, the Ukraine and elsewhere.

But it didn’t come easy. “Mississippi College was still very much in the mix’’ Leparulo said. What was shaping up to look like an MC victory went a different way in a hurry.

“It just goes to show you how sports are,’’ says Leparulo, who coaches the Florida State University table tennis team. “Texas Wesleyan was within moments of a losing affair, but turned it around. Anyone watching could feel the tension. It was a magical ending.’’

Led by Coach & Captain Cheng Li, the MC Choctaws grabbed a 2-1 lead in the finals, it didn’t last long. TWU’s Zhe Feng defeated MC’s Qing Wei Sun to force the finals to go to doubles. Coach Rather decided to put the paddles in the hands of Zhe Feng, a former Chinese National Team member, and Jishan Liang, her top-rated singles player. The dynamic TWU duo proved too much for MC’s Cheng Li and doubles partner Tong Zhang. The Rams won three straight game, much to the delight of their fan base, and the Texas Wesleyan celebration erupted.

The four triumphs in Round Rock chalked up by TWU with its coed team, women’s team, men’s doubles and women’s doubles adds to their remarkable achievements dating back to 2003. The TWU Rams have won 12 coed team titles, 10 men’s singles titles (the last by Zhe Feng in 2015), 7 women’s singles titles (the last by Sara Hazinski in 2011), 9 men’s doubles titles, 8 women’s doubles titles and 8 mixed doubles titles.

The only titles escaping TWU in 2016 were: the women’s singles title by Ting Wang of Ohlone College and the men’s singles title going to Mississippi College’s Yi Chi Zhang.

Rather poured on the praise for her squad. The group includes one of her stars, Emil Santos of the Dominican Republic, who completed his collegiate playing career over the weekend. Santos, she said, served TWU as an effective team leader. Santos, she said, ranks with some of the finest collegiate players she’s coached at Texas Wesleyan.

Others coming home with No. 1 awards: the TWU men’s doubles team of Bruno Ventura Dos Anjos of Brazil and Shuai Wang of China, and the women’s doubles team of Anastasia Rybka of the Ukraine and Edina Haracic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Texas Wesleyan’s aces led a powerful lineup of six schools from the Lone Star State. The others were: Texas A&M, the University of Texas, North Texas, Texas Tech, and UT-Dallas.

Lindenwood University Brothers Love Table Tennis

Submitted by nctta.president on Thu, 03/31/2016 - 3:39pm

By Andy Kanengiser

NCTTA Media Chairman

Who's a better table tennis player? It's really hard to say when asking two brothers who are standouts on the Lindenwood University team.

That was the question asked Gabriel Skolnick, 22, and Micaiah Skolnick, 20, on Sunday at the NCTTA championship games in Round Rock, Texas. No doubt, inquiring minds want to know.

First, a little background. The Skolnick brothers grew up playing table tennis in the basement of their home in Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania near the Maryland border. The boys played the sport with their mom and friends, and got hooked at an early age.

In terms of ratings, reports show that Gabriel's rating stands at 2370 and Micaiah ranks at 2340. So that's pretty close. Flip a coin to see who's best on any given day. In terms of face to face USATT competition, one brother won 23 games, and the other chalked up 19 victories. That's close, too. So it really doesn't matter who holds the upper hand in that department.

What about countless games played for years in their basement in Peach Bottom? Evidently, statisticians in the Keystone State failed to keep up on that score. Gabriel was twelve and Micaiah was ten when they began playing in amateur tournaments and joined a local club. They became students at Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri. And the rest is history.

Both brothers are not only star players. They serve as key leaders for the Lindenwood Lions. An NCTTA powerhouse for nearly a decade, the school's coed team finished in 9th place at the 2016 national championships near Austin.

All season long, the Skolnick brothers remained valuable assets for the squad.

"I feel like they are leaders on the team, and tell us what to do in practice,'' said Lindenwood freshman Kevin Choo of South Korea. With both guys around, they helped the team build friendships, Kevin said while watching the games at the Round Rock Sports Center.

In the Show Me State, Lindenwood boasts a solid team that's rich in terms of its diversity. Players come to the Missouri school from Egypt, Ecuador, China, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Mexico, and the USA. The list goes on. Lindenwood is among a handful of NCTTA schools that offers scholarships to outstanding players from around the globe.

It helps communications with teammates that both Skolnick brothers speak Spanish.

There are a few visible differences between the two young men. On Sunday, the younger Micaiah sported a beard. Older brother Gabriel had a beard until shaving it off recently.

Both bright Lindenwood students are biochemistry majors who plan to pursue different career paths. Gabriel wants to pursue graduate studies at a physician assistant program. Micaiah expects to go to graduate school in physical chemistry and earn his doctorate. He's eyeing grad schools like Penn State and the University of Pennsylvania.

What attracts the Lindenwood brothers to table tennis? Traveling to tournaments far from home, the many friends they've made with people around the world, and the fun along the way. They both love life at the university near St. Louis and wearing the Black and Gold as table tennis players.

There were nice moments to remember for each of the Lindenwood Lions at Round Rock.

Gabriel Skolnick noted his strong effort, although it ended in a loss in singles against Texas Wesleyan star Emil Santos of the Dominican Republic. After going up against some of North America's top collegiate players, Micaiah is delighted to return to Lindenwood for his senior year and hopes to make the trip to the 2017 championships.

The 2016 NCTTA championship games are almost done, but the Skolnick brothers will keep playing in the weeks ahead and years to come. Gabriel and Micaiah expect to prepare for the upcoming American Team Championships near Chicago. Like many NCTTA players, they just can't live without the Olympic sport.

Northwestern Makes Impressive Showing at 2016 Champs

Submitted by nctta.president on Tue, 03/29/2016 - 6:09pm

By Andy Kanengiser

NCTTA Media Chairman

Six years ago, Northwestern University table tennis players battled with the school's ballroom dancing club to squeeze in enough time to practice on campus.

The fights for practice time at the student center at the Big Ten school in Evanston, Illinois are now over.

Led by Coach Ned Leuchtner, the Northwestern table tennis thrived during the 2015-16 season. The squad advanced to the NCTTA's Big Dance, the 2016 national championships in Round Rock, Texas. The three-day tournament ended Sunday.

As Leuchtner watched awesome women's doubles teams from Texas Wesleyan and Wisconsin scrap for points, he was pretty well pleased with the performance of his talented bunch.

The Northwestern team is sparked by freshman David Lee, an 18-year-old industrial engineering major from Saint Paul, Minnesota. He arrived at the Lone Star State tournament with a rating of 2275 and saw an uptick in his game over the weekend.

Competition for Northwestern was pretty tough at times. There were Northwestern team losses to No. 11 McMaster University of Canada and No. 12 UCLA. "But we satisfied with how we did during these tight matches,'' Leuchtner said Sunday at the Round Rock Sports Center.

Before all was said and done, Northwestern knocked off Western University of Canada. That was an unexpected triumph. Their determination and success over the weekend gave the Northwestern team something to build on for next season. "Our four guys will all be back next season,'' the coach noted.

Making its debut in the nationals, Northwestern's coed team finished 23rd.There are actually 15 members on the team that wears purple uniforms. The student-athletes competed for four slots on the squad making the journey to Texas.

Rounding out Northwestern's team: Shengzhi Luan, 25, a civil engineering graduate student from Harbin, China, Dash Neimark, 25, a graduate student from Ormond, Florida, and Edward Lin, a sophomore from Beijing, China. Luan advanced his game as a teen in high school leagues in China.

Northwestern's excellent academic reputation helps recruit players. So does the team's Facebook site, and the university's plugged in network of alums and students.

Serving as Northwestern's coach the past six seasons is something that Leuchtner does because he loves the Olympic sport and helping students succeed in life. The coach knows how to win. He was the table tennis champ at Indiana University in 1984. Outside the table tennis world, Leuchtner supervises the construction of historic properties. That includes the restoration of a Mobil gas station dating back to 1920.

Other college table tennis teams fared well on their first trip to the national championships. That included the North Texas State Mean Green. The school from Denton, Texas was delighted to report its coed team finished in 13th place. UNT ended up in the top eight in doubles. One of its singles players landed in the top 32.

North Texas State Coach Daniel Rutenberg believes his young team will be even better next year. His squad includes two 16-year-old players, Bryan Wu, and Chris Tian, both of Plano. Tsz Lun "Alan'' Chu is the oldest player, a 28-year-old graduate student from Hong Kong. Freshmen Brandon Chow, 17, and Jack Zhang, 18, both of Plano, round out the Mean Green Machine. The 16-year-olds are talented teens with paddles in hand. Bryan's rating is 2250 and Chris ranks at 1800.

In the real world, Rutenberg works as a marketing man. He's doing a terrific job marketing UNT table tennis in the Dallas area and beyond. As the three-day event in Round Rock was winding down, he called it a pretty good tournament for his team. With their games enhanced here, a stronger North Texas bunch seeks to return to the NCTTA's 2017 national championships.

The 2016 TMS College Table Tennis Championships is hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and the Round Rock CVB and is one of the premier table tennis tournaments in North America featuring 6 events: Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, and Men’s/Coed Teams, Women’s Teams. The event is sponsored by TMS International, Gerflor, Double Fish, and Joola.

Players and spectators alike will enjoy a jam-packed weekend of table tennis at the TMS College Table Tennis Championships. The event starts Friday March 25th and continues through Sunday March 27^th at the Round Rock Sports Center

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 intercollegiate competition throughout North America. www.nctta.org

About USA Table Tennis

Headquartered in Colorado Springs, USATT is the national organizing body for table tennis in the United States, serving 9,000+ members and nearly 300 clubs. USATT sanctions 200+ events a year including the US Open and US Nationals. USATT is affiliated with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), as well as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). www.usatt.org

Table Tennis is Bigger in Texas. But...Why? Part II

Submitted by nctta.president on Tue, 03/29/2016 - 5:00pm

Pictured above is a Inter Texas Scrimmage with UNT, UT Austin, etc.

By Brent Hearn

In Part I, we noted the formidable presence of Texas teams in this year’s NCTTA Championships. In the midst of the tournament action, we got the chance to talk to a couple of people who might have an idea of what’s causing the Lone Star State’s stock to rise in the world of collegiate table tennis.

Judy Chen, a former University of Texas at Austin player who is acting as the team’s coach, gives a lot of credit to the strength of table tennis in the city of Plano.

“Plano had a lot of students who were playing table tennis very seriously before high school, and it just so (happens that) we all entered the high school/college years,” said Chen, who is enrolled in UT’s pharmacy school. “For instance...four people on our UT team...used to practice together in Plano.”

But Chen also thinks that’s just one of several factors.

“(Table tennis is) becoming more well known,” said Chen. “The clubs have been established for a longer time, so they’re doing a better job advertising themselves so more people are aware of it. We’re lucky that a lot of international students...graduate students, especially--they’re here, they came to Texas, then they found these clubs, and they’re all really good.”

Eldon Luo, a 20-year-old sophomore at Texas A&M acting as the team’s coach, cited the top-tier competition as a motivator.

According to Luo, “Texas is one of the hardest divisions, because we have Wesleyan, UT Austin, UT Dallas, and North Texas. North Texas is really good this year. Whenever you have top players, you really want to do better. Somebody as strong as Wesleyan--they just push us.”

“We’re lucky that there’s all these good players that are willing to play,” said Chen.

About NCTTA

About USA Table Tennis

Random Round Rocker: Gideon Teitel

Submitted by nctta.president on Tue, 03/29/2016 - 4:40pm

By Brent Hearn

What makes the TMS College Table Tennis National Championships so special is the people. The players, the coaches, the spectators and the volunteers are all doing their part to make this event a success. That’s why we’re doing a series that focuses specifically on those who are doing their part to make this year’s event special.

For our last profile, we focused on a volunteer. Our next Random Round Rocker is a player, 20-year-old Cornell student Gideon Teitel. Gideon is a junior majoring in industrial labor relations and minoring in economics.

How many times have you been to Nationals?

First year.

What are your thoughts on the tournament thus far?

I think it’s incredible. Very well run, perfect conditions...the players are excellent. (I’ve) been playing with...all different kinds of players. I’m not in the team event; I’m in the individual event. So I knew that I would get knocked out… but the point is to play with a lot of people…

It’s great because they have, like, 20-plus tables in the practice area. (Writer’s note: There are actually 18 practice tables, but close enough.) So I’m always playing with people.

Are you the only player here from Cornell?

One other: my friend Kevin Li. We played doubles, too.

What’s your favorite thing about table tennis?

It’s just the feeling when you make a perfect shot—when you do what you’re trying to do. When you execute on your plan, there’s nothing like it.

If you could pick any celebrity to play table tennis with, who would it be?

Maybe somebody like Paul Krugman or some sort of—he’s not really a celebrity. I was thinking of a famous economist, but I would say him because I would maybe establish a rapport with him and since I’m interested in economics, it could lead to something further.

What’s something interesting about you that would fascinate the table tennis world?

I thought that taking cold showers would be good for my life, so I did that for, like, a year and a half. But...it really had no benefits and I was just being masochistic. I stopped doing that and nothing has changed. I read online that it’s supposed to boost your testosterone and do all this other stuff, but it’s all nonsense. It just made me procrastinate having showers.

Thanks so much to Gideon for taking the time to speak to us! We hope you’re enjoying the rest of your tournament—and your warm showers.

About NCTTA

About USA Table Tennis

Mississippi College Star Yi Chi Zhang Captures Singles Title

Submitted by nctta.president on Tue, 03/29/2016 - 4:29pm

By Andy Kanengiser

NCTTA Media Chairman

After three years of coming close, Mississippi College's Yi Chi Zhang finally paddled his way to the peak of his table tennis game as the 2016 men's singles champion.

The triumph happened Saturday evening at the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association's championship games in Round Rock, Texas.

A 22-year-old native of China, Zhang defeated other strong NCTTA opponents, including two potent Mississippi College teammates in the semi-finals and finals.

Zhang edged MC Coach & Captain Cheng Li in the weekend tournament as fans in the huge arena watched a barrage of long volleys between the two competitors. It was a rematch of their showdown at the 2014 national championships near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Back then,Li emerged as the No. 1 men's collegiate singles player among schools across the USA and Canada.

On Saturday, Li knocked off Texas Wesleyan standout Emil Santos of the Dominican Republic to set up the return match with Yi Chi Zhang.

This time, their semi-final match was tied at three games apiece with Zhang winning the finale.

The victory over Li opened the door for Zhang to defeat MC freshman sensation Qing Wei Sun in four straight games.

Playing two Mississippi College teammates back to back was a bit of an awkward situation for the new singles champ even though they have all squared off in practices on the Clinton campus all season.

"They all are my friends,'' Yi Chi Zhang told NCTTA commentator Bryan Song in a post-game interview captured by live streaming cameras. All four members of the mighty Mississippi College team (including Tong Zhang) are natives of China.

Moments later, Coach Li offered his congrats to Zhang, a computer science major who thrives on an awesome backhand.

Later that evening, Li, Zhang, Sun & others in the MC table tennis family enjoyed the fellowship, speeches & awards presentations at the NCTTA's annual banquet at a Round Rock hotel.

Last April, the MC Choctaws beat 11-time champion Texas Wesleyan at the 2015 NCTTA games in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The two collegiate powerhouses are likely to battle again as the three-day tournament closes out the season on March 27.

About NCTTA

About USA Table Tennis

NCTTA Salutes Women in Class of 2016

Submitted by nctta.president on Sun, 03/27/2016 - 12:45pm

By Andy Kanengiser

NCTTA Media Chairman

The Class of 2016 includes extraordinary women sparking their table tennis teams at colleges stretching from New York to California and as far north as Canada.

"Table tennis is in my blood,'' said New York University senior Xialing Qiang. For the 24-year-old native of Sichuan, China, the 2016 NCTTA championships closes out her collegiate career playing this fast-paced Olympic sport. "I will never give up table tennis.''

A sports business major, Xialing plans to stay one more year in New York and hunt for a job. Playing table tennis for a powerful NYU team the past two seasons, she said, was a "fantastic'' experience, one she will never forget. "Everybody is supporting each other.''

The native of China began playing the sport as a six-year-old and refuses to retire her paddle.

A total of five NYU women will compete in their final college games at the Round Rock Sports Center on Sunday.

Playing at this beautiful sports venue near Austin is a memorable way to close things out. "I'm trying to enjoy it. Round Rock was the best,'' from its superb facilities to its welcoming environment for table tennis, says 22-year-old NYU senior Janice Ho.

A Clinton, New Jersey resident, Janice played in NCTTA championship tournaments during her four years at NYU. Besides Texas, she traveled with NYU teammates to national tournaments in Rockford, Illinois in 2013, Monroeville, Pennsylvania in 2014, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin in 2015.

After her NYU graduation in May, going to work is what's next on the agenda for the bright accounting and marketing major.

Others wrapping up their NYU table tennis playing days this weekend in the Lone Star State are: Michelle Leung of Hong Kong, Lisa Kim of Seoul, South Korea and Claire Bai of Beijing, China.

At the NCTTA tournament, players like Jasmine Nguyen, 22, of the University of California-Berkeley say they look forward to graduation in May. But they're not ready to quit the game they love. "It's really sad that it's ending. I wish I could spend more than four years at the collegiate level.''

A resident of Anaheim, California, the integrative biology major plans to work for a year, then prepare for the rigors of medical school. Jasmine will consider a medical career in cardiology or radiology. After playing table tennis for ten years, she's not quite ready to give it up. "I will still play, hopefully, while I'm in medical school.''

And serving as an NCTTA volunteeer is another option she may pursue next season.

Unexpected circumstances at the family's residence led Jasmine to switch her game from tennis to table tennis.

A major pipe leak at their California home caused extensive water damage years ago, Nguyen recalled as games continued in Round Rock Saturday. Almost "everything was destroyed, except for the ping pong table.''

About NCTTA

About USA Table Tennis

Ohlone's Ying Wang Takes Women's Singles Title

Submitted by nctta.president on Sun, 03/27/2016 - 8:23am

Pictured above is Ying Wang accepting her award from NCTTA's Kevin Li and Sam Huang

By Brent Hearn

The women’s singles final pit two of the dominant players of the tournament against one another: Ohlone College’s Ying Wang and Texas Wesleyan University’s Anastasia Rybka.

Wang served first and took the first three points. Rybka was able to claw her way back into the game, but it wasn’t enough, and she dropped the first game 9-11.

Game Two started off in similar fashion and then some. Wang jumped to a 4-0 lead this time, leaving Rybka a deep hole to dig her way out of. Rybka’s shots were finding their way into the net far too often, though, and Wang simply refused to make mistakes. Wang took the second game 11-3.

Game Three began as a replay of the second, with Wang again taking a 4-0 lead. Just as in Game One, however, Rybka was able to will herself back into the match, tying up the score at 6-6. She was able to up the quality and consistency of her play, and the two were locked into a dead heat, staying within a point of each other until Wang pulled ahead 10-8. Wang took the game 11-9, and Rybka had a monumental task ahead of her if she wanted to salvage her shot at the title.

Rybka clearly wasn’t going to give up easily; the fourth game was the first that saw her open with the lead. At 5-5, neither woman wanted to give ground. Rybka ratcheted up her level of aggression, and it paid dividends. In no time, the two players found themselves in a dogfight, with Rybka pulling ahead, only to see Wang catch up.

Wang had match point at 10-9, but Rybka answered with two straight points to gain her first game point. Wang got it back to deuce, and then it was point for point. Rybka took the game 14-12 to avoid the sweep.

Wang served to start Game Five, and the two players split her serve. Rybka had found her rhythm and clearly had no intention of going softly. Wang wasn’t about to let up, though, and Rybka soon found herself at a 6-2 disadvantage.

Rybka managed to take three more points off Wang, but Wang grabbed what she came for and took the game, the match, and the championship with an 11-5 score in the fifth. Though she gave a champion’s effort in the latter part of the match, Rybka just could not find a way to overcome Wang’s rock-solid play. The final score was 11-9, 11-3, 11-9, 12-14, 11-5. Congratulations to our NEW Women's Singles Champion in a well deserved win.

About NCTTA

About USA Table Tennis

Kevin Korb Puts Spin on Table Tennis Action

Submitted by nctta.president on Sun, 03/27/2016 - 2:35am

By Andy Kanengiser

NCTTA Media Chairman

A Silicon Valley table tennis icon, Kevin Korb brought his unique brand as a sage commentator to the NCTTA's biggest tournament of the year.

No longer the flashy Southern California player with colorful socks that never match, Korb, 20, brings solid credentials as the owner of the Top Spin table tennis club in San Jose.

It's a growing table tennis club with 200 members and a real hotbed for table tennis fans in high-tech Northern California. Kevin's job is to expand the club in his hometown. Attracting more players, young and old alike, and adding staff, are on his to-do list this spring and summer. He took over the reins of the club less than a year ago.

There are other changes ahead in Kevin Korb's life.

Next fall, the 20-year-old Tennessee native plans to rejoin the mighty USC Trojans squad on the Los Angeles campus. At the same time, Kevin will work towards completing his bachelor's degree.

People tuning to live streaming coverage of the 2016 TMS National Collegiate Table Tennis Championships this weekend heard Korb drop pearls of wisdom about his favorite Olympic sport. He's up to speed on its players, schools, sponsors, statistics and the diversity of table tennis worldwide.

Hollywood celebrities promoting the fast-paced game, including actress Susan Sarandon, owner of the Spin Club in New York City, are on his mind, too. Best known for starring in science fiction movies like "The Terminator,'' Arnold Schwarzenegger is another celeb on fire for table tennis. The former California governor sponsors tournaments like the Arnold Challenge.

Super Bowl winning quarterback Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos filmed a TV commercial recently showing him losing a game of table tennis to a young kid. Manning complained and called the kid's winning slam a "lucky shot.''

As players from schools like Lindenwood, Mississippi College, Texas, Iowa, and California battled for points at the Round Rock Sports Facility, Kevin gets pumped about what he sees as solid uptick for his go-to sport.

It's happening around the USA and Canada during a 21st Century era he terms "the New Age of Table Tennis.'' And the sport's rise in popularity is evident at the NCTTA's championship games in late March. "At the college level, it's gone up a ton.''

Players like Peter Li of California, Ying Wang of Ohlone College, Jishan Liang of Texas Wesleyan and Qing Wei Sun of Mississippi College are among the contingent of 250 collegians wowing fans here. Their inspiring performances give NCTTA's team of guest commentators like Korb and Joseph Wells something to talk about. The Californian also conducted many of the post-game interviews with star players.

At the games played on near Austin, Kevin saluted the progress of women to enhance the sport on their campuses. He estimated that at least 25 of the women competing in Round Rock have ratings exceeding 1900.

In the future, Korb hopes to focus on ways to encourage more of America's 19 million recreational table tennis players to take the sport more seriously. There are fewer than 10,000 U.S. Table Tennis Association members, reports show.

While the USA isn't China where table tennis is king, there's always somebody around who wants to pick up a paddle and play.

What's Kevin's own table tennis rating? It stands at a solid 2,150. But as far as promoting table tennis, Kevin Korb's rating really goes through the roof!

About NCTTA

About USA Table Tennis

Ohlone Standout Chops His Way to Success

Submitted by nctta.president on Sun, 03/27/2016 - 2:26am

By Brent Hearn

If you’re a fan of jumbo table tennis (apparently, some folks just call it “tennis”) and you’re of a certain age, you may remember a player in the 80s and 90s named Michael Chang. Quiet of demeanor and diminutive of stature, he was the polar opposite, personality-wise, of many of the talented, boisterous players he squared up against. McEnroe and Connors, while in the twilight of their respective careers, were still around, raging and bellowing (and winning). Andre Agassi, the new breed of “bad boy,” was in danger of having his hair, his loud outfits and his celebrity overshadow his accomplishments. And there was Chang, who was the antithesis of “in your face.” At first glance, if you didn’t know anything about him, you’d be tempted to underestimate him.

That is, until you tried to get a ball past him.

To say he was quick would be an understatement. His success (he was ranked as high as #2 in the world) was propelled by his never-say-die attitude and by tree-trunk-sized pistons he called legs that gave him a near superhuman ability to chase opponents’ balls down. He just kept...getting...shots...back. Playing Chang was like playing a backboard, and the frustration of having their best shots repeatedly get run down was exasperating to his competition.

Sound familiar to any of you? It is if you’re a table tennis player who has ever played against a talented chopper. Competing against a player with an advanced defensive game takes its physical toll, as the points are typically longer—if they’re not, you’re probably getting slaughtered—and you’re having to exert yourself much more than usual. But it also takes a psychological toll, as well. There are few things more demoralizing to an aggressive player than going to war against a defensive wizard who takes all the heat you had to offer and just...keeps...pushing...it...back.

Enter 23-year-old Ohlone College team member Donglong Hao. If you’ve watched him play—or if you’ve played against him—you’ve seen first-hand the difficulties one faces when matched up against a skilled chopper. His defensive tendencies make him an outlier among his peers, most of whom employ an attacking style.

Hao took the offensive approach at first, as well. But when his coach at the time noticed his physical style and his propensity to play from long range, it marked the beginning of a new era in Hao’s game.

“I’ve been training the chopper (style) for six or seven years,” said Hao. “When I first started, I played attack for three years. My beginners’ coach used the chopper style, so that’s how I changed….”

Like any chopper worth his, well...chops, Hao knows how to switch it up when necessary. He goes on the offensive when it suits him, which keeps his opponents on their heels. You’re not likely to find Hao on his, though.

“I like running,” he said. And run he does. According to Hao, his height makes it necessary to take two steps for every one of his taller opponents’.

Hao’s goals for this year’s Championships are much like he is: focused and devoid of pretense.

“The first one is do my best,” he said. “And I want to help my team get in the final.”

The interview for this story was conducted with translation assistance from Ohlone coach Yong Gao. While some quotes were paraphrased for the sake of readability, the writer attempted to maintain the integrity of their meaning.

About NCTTA

About USA Table Tennis

Pages