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

The 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships will once again serve as more than just a competition; they also thrive as an interconnected community across North America.

This year, we have four top Canadian schools coming to Rockford in April. The University of Toronto, McGill University, McMaster University and Western are all represented at this event. However, Western in particular is coming off of an unprecedented first championship at CITTA (Canadian Intercollegiate Table Tennis Association) in March.

There is a deeper story, though, and one of a unified vision for the future of College Table Tennis. CITTA and NCTTA recently signed into a partnership agreement to help further College Table Tennis in North America. This agreement will be a step forward in strengthening our already strong bonds with our brothers and sisters across the border in Canada.

Canadian College Table Tennis has a rich history in the NCTTA from the early 1990’s, where Queens University was one of the first Canadian schools to join. Today, we get to continue that legacy!

We spoke to Western about their experience at the CITTA Championships, and they stated, “CITTA was a great experience for us. Western was super grateful to be invited. We were able to try out different pairings for both singles and doubles, which really helped us figure out our roster going into NCTTA Champs.”

At the center of that journey is something that really makes college table tennis so special: it is the "people behind the paddles".

Sisters, Nicole and Demi Cai lead the program both by their play and with their ‘can-do’ attitude. Nicole, who is also head coach of the program, says,
“(We are) super lucky that we both ended up choosing the same university. Growing up, we were often competing against each other, so it’s been a really nice change to now be playing on the same team. We’re really grateful to have that kind of support system within the team.”

The support system is exactly what the goal is within the walls of our sport in College. Demi comments further, “I feel very fortunate to have my sister by my side. Watching her play for Western growing up made me realize that this was where I wanted to be, both academically and as a table tennis player. She’s been my biggest supporter and my best friend, so it means a lot to be able to share this experience and play alongside her before she graduates.”

As these schools from across the USA and Canada come together in Rockford, the champs will highlight not just the awesome competition, but the powerful community that defines our sport.
College Table Tennis strength isn’t just in the matches played, but the connections formed along the way.

Pictured here are Demi and Nicole Cai of Western

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

By Chris Mar
NCTTA Peakapong Director

The 2026 NCTTA Nationals PeakaPong event marks the first true championship edition after a more casual 2025 debut. A new fall divisional qualifier system was introduced, with top finishers earning direct invitations to Nationals. While participation was initially limited, the matches were competitive and showed growth potential.

PeakaPong uses a unique hardbat style, creating a level playing field for both mid- and high-level players. Notable performances in the Florida qualifier included Livia Carvalho (2nd), whose playing style naturally fits the format, alongside Osvaldo Pelaez (1st) and Loi Park (3rd). The format emphasizes chopping rallies, similar to classic hardbat or sandpaper play.

The Nationals event was structured as a 32-player maximum tournament with round-robin groups feeding into a knockout bracket to ensure ample playtime under PeakaPong’s distinct rules (short games, no deuces, alternating serves). Due to low qualifier response, on-site registration was allowed.

Top contenders include Livia Carvalho and highly rated players like Sara Gulabani. Overall, the competition is expected to be open and adaptable. The winner will receive a custom championship blade, “Stein’s Blade,” named after Jack Steinberg and designed as a unique ZLC/ALC hardbat paddle.

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

MLTT has agreed to support the 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships through an in-kind donation. The donation will help to support the logistics of the upcoming Collegiate Championships by providing critical resources to ensure smooth operations. This contribution will help enhance the NCTTA Championship experience for student-athletes, coaches, and fans alike.

Major League Table Tennis is the first professional table tennis league in the United States, launched in 2023. Several Collegiate Table Tennis players have gone on to compete in the MLTT including NCTTA 3 time Men’s singles Champion, Nikhil Kumar, to name one. Several current Collegiates are playing on an MLTT team as well, including Senura Silva, Jonathan McDonald (Tx Wesleyan) and Sid Naresh (California).

NCTTA welcomes MLTT’s partnership in helping promote the College Table Tennis mission!

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, Peaka Pong, 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

The 2026 NCTTA College Table Tennis Championships covers North America with our student athletes coming from Canada, Puerto Rico and the United States. Here is a snapshot of the event:

248 Student-Athletes
22 Coaches
49 Colleges and Universities, including 4 from Canada and 1 from Puerto Rico
113 different majors
79% STEM majors
73% are undergraduate students
23 countries represented including the USA; China, India and Brazil being the most popular international areas

The competition itself is equally impressive:
80 Men’s Singles (full event)
40 Women’s Singles (full event)
24 Coed Teams (full event)
16 Women’s Teams (full event)
32 Men’s Doubles (full event)
16 Women’s Doubles (full event)
104 Volunteers (staff)

NCTTA is a true representation of how global our sport is: “Everyone, Everywhere.”

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, Peaka Pong, 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

Hello NCTTA world, we would like to introduce you to Fiona Hu, currently the only Tulane University Table Tennis representative in the NCTTA postseason! Hu traveled 19 hours to her division in North Alabama (her school is in Louisiana) and did so by train! Talk about passion and commitment, and folks, that isn't even the amazing part. Let's dig in and get to know more about her story!

Ms. Hu was born and raised in a place called Denham Springs, Louisiana, and picked up her first paddle during a middle school P.E. class. She didn’t even realize that table tennis was a competitive sport, but at Tulane University as a freshman, she learned that Tulane even competed in the NCTTA Championships, and from there, she was determined to compete. She later joined the local New Orleans Table Tennis club and even had an opportunity to do a semester abroad in China. In China, she would meet what she calls her “Table Tennis mentor,” and from that point her love for the sport flourished into passion.

Look, we all know that table tennis in the USA is a niche sport at best and that is no different in Louisiana, but what Hu found was a global community of pongers that enjoy and love the sport equally as her. Taking a 20-hour train ride to North Alabama gave her perspective and, yes, a qualification to the NCTTA South Regionals in Texas, where this time she will be taking a plane ride for the next experience!

A shoutout to the folks she has met along her “Journey of Tenacity”: New Orleans Table Tennis Club, Tulane Table Tennis, Oxford (AL) TT club, Drew Ogden (Dixie Division Director), and even her opponents from Universities in Alabama, Pari Motivaras and Bhavya Paineni.

Good luck to Ms. Hu on her next adventure on the campus of Texas Wesleyan University for the NCTTA South Regionals!