There is literally nowhere to hide in the 2026 NCTTA Men’s Singles Competition. The tournament is full at 80 men and all but 1 are rated above the magical 2000 rating point. This event showcases the strongest Men’s Singles event in NCTTA history.

The highest seed is Ved Sheth from California with a Godly 2669 rating and our lowest seed is Henry Wang of Michigan at 1902, which isn’t anything to sneeze at either. USA Table Tennis National
Team player, Sid Naresh and fellow California teammate at #2 are sitting pretty!

Joe Wells, NCTTA VP, says, “We are going to see a firefight of loops and smashes, chops and if we are lucky, some lobbing!”

Statistically speaking, Texas Wesleyan, which has 9 student athletes in the competition, will be ready to pounce. From the outside looking in, prepare for some untested talent out of the relatively unknown schools outside of the USA to make some noise (Western and Universidad de Puerto Rico Arecibo).

Las Vegas may not be able to get the eventual winner correct, so check it out starting Friday, April 10th at the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships!

Pictured here from Yukong Zhang, #2 seed, California’s Sid Naresh

About the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships

The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and GoRockford (Rockford Convention and Visitors Bureau). The event crowns national champions in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Men’s/Coed Teams, and Women’s Teams and Collegiate Peakapong Singles.

PongSpace, PeakaPong, Major League Table Tennis, Nittaku and Paddle Palace will sponsor the event.
Watch the event on live stream starting Friday, April 10th on https://www.nctta.org/champs/2026/video.html

About NCTTA

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively to promote 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 competitions throughout North America. www.nctta.org

From one year to the next, one would generally expect the same top players, but not this year in the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championship’s Women’s Singles Event!

Several new faces have come on board to make things “very interesting.” Just alone in the Top 10, almost one half are new to NCTTA. Enter center stage: Isabella Xu (North Carolina), Fan Miao (Texas), Rachel Wang (Columbia) and #1 seed, Amber Liu (Cal Tech).

Amber Liu, originally from the Atlanta, Georgia area, is an interesting player as she is from a school (Cal Tech) that did not qualify for the NCTTA Championships so she is coming to represent her club team as the only player. Making the trip by oneself can be challenging, but adding on she is also the top seed a mere 13 points higher than #2 seed Kelly Yenn.

Check them all out at the NCTTA Championships starting Friday April 10th!

Pictured here is Amber Liu at the recent 2026 West Regional Championships

About the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships

The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and GoRockford (Rockford Convention and Visitors Bureau). The event crowns national champions in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Men’s/Coed Teams, and Women’s Teams and Collegiate Peakapong Singles.

PongSpace, PeakaPong, Major League Table Tennis, Nittaku and Paddle Palace will sponsor the event.
Watch the event on live stream starting Friday, April 10th on https://www.nctta.org/champs/2026/video.html

About NCTTA

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively to promote 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 competitions throughout North America. www.nctta.org

As the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships approaches, the spotlight isn’t just on the student athletes, but also on our dedicated coaches who help shape the community and culture of College TT.

NCTTA has embraced a coach-centered philosophy, basically saying that coaches play a critical role past the basic fundamentals of forehands and backhands, by also serving as mentors and builders of personal development.

At Columbia University, Coach Kai Zhang (former NCTTA Athlete from Binghamton and USC) tells us about his experience. Coach Zhang won titles in Men’s singles and Men’s Doubles in each NCTTA Championships he has attended; Columbia University is fortune to have him.

I have been coaching the whole year with the team. We are friends and always support each other either on and off court. I believe success is happiness, and that happiness comes from facing hard problems and coming out slightly better each time. That’s the culture we try to build.

At the University of Texas at Austin, Coach Brian Zhao says that success in College table tennis extends far beyond the table.

“College table tennis is about making friends and winning your teammates,” Zhao shared, highlighting the unique camaraderie that defines NCTTA as a whole.

For Western Player/Coach Nicole Cai, the journey to the national stage is built on consistency both on the table and off of it. It is part of an overall mindset.

Cai explains, “Every tournament is part of the process. From division play to regionals, to CITTA, we treat each competition as a learning opportunity. By Nationals, it’s not about doing anything completely new, it’s about trusting the work we’ve already put in.”

That process reflects a broader approach that many programs take, connecting competitions like the Canadian collegiate league (CITTA) with the elite level of NCTTA play, reinforcing the growing international reach of college table tennis.

Sportsmanship also remains a cornerstone of the NCTTA experience. Yuhan Wu, Coach of Minnesota, emphasized the importance of competing with integrity.

“Playing with class and integrity is just as important as performance.”
Meanwhile, at the University of Michigan, longtime coach Dan Robbins—who has led the program for over a decade—points to preparation as the foundation of success.

“Being prepared for matches and having a strategy,” Robbins said.

Together, these perspectives reflect the essence of the NCTTA’s mission: fostering a competitive environment grounded in teamwork, personal growth, and respect for the game.

As teams come together in Rockford for the 2026 Championships, it is clear that the impact of coaches extends far beyond the basic forehands and backhands. They are the driving force behind the student-athlete experience; building not just stronger players, but stronger communities.

Pictured here, Columbia University Coach and NCTTA Alum, Kai Zhang with a player from the team

About the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships

The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and GoRockford (Rockford Convention and Visitors Bureau). The event crowns national champions in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Men’s/Coed Teams, and Women’s Teams and Collegiate Peakapong Singles.

PongSpace, PeakaPong, Major League Table Tennis, Nittaku and Paddle Palace will sponsor the event.
Watch the event on live stream starting Friday, April 10th on https://www.nctta.org/champs/2026/video.html

About NCTTA

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively to promote 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 competitions throughout North America. www.nctta.org

As a part of the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships are the Men’s and Women’s Doubles events. The top 32 men's and Top 16 women's doubles pairings (selected by their schools) will compete in this event. Doubles has long been an important aspect of NCTTA as basically the tie breaker in a Teams match, but here it is in its own event.

In the Men’s Doubles event, these top collegiate duos are going to have to battle through a very deep and competitive field. Texas Wesleyan’s McDonald and Silva are the clear favorites both on rating and experience. One could see the righty lefty tandem from California Sid Naresh and Jerry Fung as a potential victor, and also a potential dark horse with North Carolina’s pair as the unknown Xander Ye teams up with Tianyi Zhou.

In the Women’s Doubles event, we see the Harvard pair, Kelly Yenn and Hannah Song as strong favorites, though not to be counted out are the Columbia and UCLA pairings either. Look at the dark horse with the two-sister combination at Western with Demi and Nicole Cai.

“Doubles is where teamwork truly comes to live” said Jay Lu, League Director. “The level of coordination and trust between partners needs to be top notch to excel at this level.”

Featured above are Texas Wesleyan's Jonatan McDonald and Senura Silva

About the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships

The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and GoRockford (Rockford Convention and Visitors Bureau). The event crowns national champions in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Men’s/Coed Teams, and Women’s Teams and Collegiate Peakapong Singles.

PongSpace, PeakaPong, Major League Table Tennis, Nittaku and Paddle Palace will sponsor the event.
Watch the event on live stream starting Friday, April 10th on https://www.nctta.org/champs/2026/video.html

About NCTTA

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively to promote 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 competitions throughout North America. www.nctta.org

By Michael Reff
Press Committee Chair

Breaking news! Our friends in Puerto Rico have returned with the strength and passion of their island! For the first time since the 2011 season, a Puerto Rican team has participated in NCTTA, and since 2012, that a Puerto Rican team has advanced to the Championships! This time the team is the University of Puerto Rico in Arecibo (UPRA). I got to ask the UPRA Athletic Director, Mr. Christian Tellado, for a quote on how he feels about his team’s accomplishments.

(Translated by Press Committee Chair from Spanish)

This is a historical moment, not only for our program, but also for Puerto Rico. After more than 15 years, since 2011 without representation in NCTTA, returning to the scene is a reflection of the vision, the compromise, and the consistent work of our student athletes and technical staff. As Athletic Director, I feel a deep pride. Our student athletes understand the responsibility that they carry, that they not only represent the University of Puerto Rico in Arecibo, rather the island as a whole with a great tradition in table tennis. This opportunity means a lot for them, they are motivated, focused, and grateful to be able to be part of something bigger than themselves. Our goals for this Championships go way beyond the results. We aspire to compete at the highest level with discipline and passion, establishing a solid presence, and creating the foundation so that more Puerto Rican programs become part of NCTTA in the future. For us, success is representing our institution and Puerto Rico with excellence, dignity, and pride, while we open the path for future generations.

As you all can see, overall this accomplishment is for Puerto Rico as a whole.

Here in NCTTA we congratulate the UPRA team who carry the pride of Puerto Rico through to the Championships in Rockford, IL!

Featured in the photo is the UPRA team at the Northeast Regionals

About the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships

The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and GoRockford (Rockford Convention and Visitors Bureau). The event crowns national champions in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Men’s/Coed Teams, and Women’s Teams and Collegiate Peakapong Singles.

PongSpace, PeakaPong, Major League Table Tennis, Nittaku and Paddle Palace will sponsor the event.
Watch the event on live stream starting Friday, April 10th on https://www.nctta.org/champs/2026/video.html

About NCTTA

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively to promote 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 competitions throughout North America. www.nctta.org

De Michael Reff
Escritor de NCTTA Committee de Prensa

¡Ultimas Noticias! Nuestros amigos en Puerto Rico han regresado con la fortaleza y la pasión de su isla: ¡por la primera vez desde la temporada de 2011, un equipo puertorriqueño ha participado en NCTTA, y desde el 2012 que ha avanzado a los Campeonatos! Esta vez el equipo es la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Arecibo (UPRA). Le pude pedir al Director Atlético de UPRA, el Señor Christian Tellado, por una cita de como se siente sobre los logros de su equipo:

Este es un momento histórico, no solo para nuestro programa, sino para Puerto Rico. Luego de más de 15 años, desde el 2011 sin representación en la NCTTA, regresar a este escenario es reflejo de la visión, el compromiso y el trabajo consistente de nuestros estudiantes atletas y cuerpo técnico. Como Director Atlético, siento un profundo orgullo. Nuestros estudiantes atletas entienden la responsabilidad que llevan, no solo representan a la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Arecibo, sino a toda una isla con una gran tradición en el tenis de mesa. Esta oportunidad significa mucho para ellos; están motivados, enfocados y agradecidos de poder ser parte de algo más grande que ellos mismos. Nuestras metas para estos Campeonatos van más allá de los resultados. Aspiramos a competir al más alto nivel con disciplina y pasión, establecer una presencia sólida, y sentar las bases para que más programas puertorriqueños formen parte de la NCTTA en el futuro. Para nosotros, el éxito es representar a nuestra institución y a Puerto Rico con excelencia, dignidad y orgullo, mientras abrimos camino para las próximas generaciones.

Como Ustedes pueden ver, sobre todo este logro es de Puerto Rico entero.

¡Aquí en NCTTA nosotros les ofrecemos felicitaciones al equipo UPRA, que llevan el orgullo de Puerto Rico hasta los Campeonatos en Rockford, IL!

Destacados en la foto hay el equipo UPRA durante las Regionales del noreste de Los EEUU

About the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships

The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and GoRockford (Rockford Convention and Visitors Bureau). The event crowns national champions in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Men’s/Coed Teams, and Women’s Teams and Collegiate Peakapong Singles.

PongSpace, PeakaPong, Major League Table Tennis, Nittaku and Paddle Palace will sponsor the event.
Watch the event on live stream starting Friday, April 10th on https://www.nctta.org/champs/2026/video.html

About NCTTA

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively to promote 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 competitions throughout North America. www.nctta.org

“Here they come from all over the world” is a quote from a 1960’s American pop band, but very adequate when referring to the volunteers at the 2026 NCTTA Championships that make this all work.

The NCTTA Championships are once again in Rockford, Illinois and one would think “Sure, Rockford is in the Midwest and those are where the volunteers come from,” and of course, we have a large portion of Chicago, Rockford, Iowa, and Wisconsin volunteers (as expected). But you could argue that the geography is quite expansive!

18 states and 2 countries (Spain and Canada) represent our volunteer group and age really is just a number, from as young as 12 years old to as “wise” as the mid 80’s. I am sure you have heard that table tennis keeps you young!

One such volunteer out of Spain (Yes, in Europe) is Vanesa Luño. Luño found out about this event through another umpire friend and signed up! She works in Spain at her local university as a part of her international department. She says about the championships, “I think it’s really valuable to experience a university-level championship in the United States. Table tennis is not just a sport, but it’s a way to connect with people from different cultures.”

So if you see someone in a gray shirt hustling about during the NCTTA Championships, stop and say thank you, because wherever they come from, they come to pay it forward for you, the student athletes of college table tennis. NCTTA thanks you, the volunteers!

About the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships

The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and GoRockford (Rockford Convention and Visitors Bureau). The event crowns national champions in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Men’s/Coed Teams, and Women’s Teams and Collegiate Peakapong Singles.

PongSpace, PeakaPong, Major League Table Tennis, Nittaku and Paddle Palace will sponsor the event.
Watch the event on live stream starting Friday, April 10th on https://www.nctta.org/champs/2026/video.html

About NCTTA

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively to promote 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 competitions throughout North America. www.nctta.org

Here at NCTTA, we always like to spotlight a special demographic that braves a solo trek to the Nationals: the Lone Rangers. These players are the only representatives from their team, but play not only for their individual glory, but also for their school pride. There are a handful of such Lone Rangers representing various schools this year, and we got a chance to ask them how they feel about their unique experiences making it to the Champs individually.

There were some similar themes in their responses across the board. Several, while sad that they were the only ones from their team going to champs, found respite in the fact that they would be able to forge new friendships at this National event.

For Aman Thawani of the University of Chicago, he says regarding already experiencing the Divisionals and Regionals tourneys, “I was most surprised by how tight-knit the community is. Everyone who is an active part of the community seems to know and respect everyone else, and people genuinely love playing, training, and analyzing games together. It makes the community really comfortable, and makes it feel like we all truly belong here.”

Another Lone Ranger, Albert Yang, an Indiana University freshman, echoes Thawani’s socializing sentiments with, “I'm most excited about reconnecting with some of my friends within the table tennis community.”

As Indiana has attained great heights at Champs in past years, Yang is already fired up from hearing stories about the event through his club advisor, Professor Gillespie.

Jinghe Xiao (Jennifer) from Johns Hopkins University is a Lone Ranger who used to play in China and won a provincial title! She has a unique situation, because although technically a Lone Ranger, her twin sister Jingyan will also be there playing for the Columbia University team!

Additional Lone Rangers are none other than the women’s #1 seeded player Amber Liu, who is also an accomplished musical composer, Erfan Ramezanpour from Alabama, who is the only Dixie Division representative, Jhoan Fernandez of University of Rochester, Kim Iwasaki of DBU who originally hails from Brazil, Nikhil Chawla, who is a chopper from College of William and Mary, and Jasmine Goodwin of UC Davis.

Congrats to the 2026 Lone Rangers for making it to the Champs and braving the solo journey to Rockford!

About the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships
The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and GoRockford (Rockford Convention and Visitors Bureau). The event crowns national champions in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Men’s/Coed Teams, and Women’s Teams, and Collegiate Peakapong Singles.
PongSpace, PeakaPong, Major League Table Tennis, Nittaku and Paddle Palace will sponsor the event.

Watch the event on live stream starting Friday, April 10th on https://www.nctta.org/champs/2026/video.html

About NCTTA
The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively to promote 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 competitions throughout North America. www.nctta.org

Paddle Palace, a leading supplier of high-quality table tennis equipment, is proud to continue its partnership with the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) by supporting the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships. Nittaku will supply the event with its premium 3-star 40+ balls, ensuring top-level playing conditions for all competitors.

As the official equipment suppliers to NCTTA, Paddle Palace and Nittaku also support collegiate programs year-round. NCTTA member schools benefit from exclusive discounts on equipment, with additional access available through a QR code featured in the official tournament program.

Sean O’Neill, Director of Sponsorships & Social Media for Paddle Palace, shared his perspective on the partnership:
“This partnership allows us to bring greater visibility to collegiate table tennis while strengthening our connection with programs and players nationwide. Paddle Palace and Nittaku are committed to supporting NCTTA not only at the Championships, but throughout the year with trusted equipment and dedicated support for member schools.”

The 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships will bring together top collegiate players and university teams from across the country for a weekend of high-level competition. With continued support from Paddle Palace and Nittaku, the event will deliver a professional and consistent playing environment.

NCTTA leadership also recognizes the value of this partnership and the ongoing support provided to member schools.

About the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships
The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and GoRockford (Rockford Convention and Visitors Bureau). The event crowns national champions in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Men’s/Coed Teams, and Women’s Teams and Collegiate Peakapong Singles.
PongSpace, PeakaPong, Major League Table Tennis, Nittaku and Paddle Palace will sponsor the event.

Watch the event on live stream starting Friday, April 10th on https://www.nctta.org/champs/2026/video.html

About NCTTA
The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively to promote 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 competitions throughout North America. www.nctta.org

NCTTA (then called LNITT) was founded in the early 1990’s, and one of its founders, Thomas Hu has coined a powerful saying that highlights the culture of two organizations that are now sponsoring the NCTTA Championships, PongSpace and Peakapong. Hu has always stated “People power” is the driving force behind the growth of table tennis. Volunteers, players, and communities come together to elevate the sport from the ground up. PongSpace is a US-based table tennis company focusing on building the sport via grassroots with events/leagues and other collaborative work (like that with NCTTA).

Hu has recently partnered with Xu Shaofa to bring Peakapong to the United States and specifically to NCTTA. Peakapong tournaments are held across NCTTA’s Fall division and will feature a National Championship at the 2026 NCTTA Championships. Peakapong combines the speed of table tennis with the social, accessible nature of pickleball.

NCTTA Vice President, Joe Wells, an avid Table Tennis and Pickleball player, states, “It is great to see PongSpace’s continued support and the addition of a new partner like Peakapong join the collegiate table tennis family.”

NCTTA welcomes both PongSpace and Peakapong to the fun!

About 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships
The championships are hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and GoRockford (Rockford Convention and Visitors Bureau). The event crowns national champions in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Men’s/Coed Teams, and Women’s Teams and Collegiate Peakapong Singles.
PongSpace, PeakaPong, Major League Table Tennis, Nittaku and Paddle Palace will sponsor the event.

Watch the event on live stream starting Friday, April 10th on https://www.nctta.org/champs/2026/video.html

About NCTTA
The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively to promote 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 competitions throughout North America. www.nctta.org