UW-Eau Claire will host the 2024 National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) College Table Tennis Championship for the third time. The championship will occur from Friday, April 12, to Sunday, April 14, in McPhee Physical Education Center. 

The NCTTA championship is “one weekend of table tennis you won’t want to miss” as they put it on their website. 

“Over 250 of the best college table tennis players representing more than 50 different colleges and universities. Battling for national titles in singles, doubles, and team events in one of the most popular Olympic sports.” the NCTTA website said 

This will be UW-Eau Claire’s third time hosting the event, with prior championships held at the university in 2015 and 2017. 

The UW-Eau Claire club table tennis team will also compete at the event, with four members entered into the tournament. 

The team members competing include fourth-year student Carter Tack, fourth-year student Nolan Arthur, third-year student Corey Boerner and fourth-year student Porter Ball. 

Behind the team is the club’s advisor and coach, Jianjun Ji, who has been with the team for over ten years and is a long-time table tennis player.

Ji said he has been playing “since his childhood” and even ranked within “the top three players of my hometown.”

“It’s a good opportunity to learn and share our experience playing table tennis,” Ji said. 

Ji also said being able to host this event was “an honor” and that the NCTTA had reached out to the university and valued them over other locations due to their experience hosting the event. 

“We helped get about a dozen volunteers to work throughout the entire event,” Ji said. 

The NCTTA ships over tables and equipment that follow specific guidelines and rules from surrounding areas, which will then be set up in the McPhee gym by the event staff. 

According to Ji, the UW-Eau Claire club team has also begun preparing for the event by “practicing four to five times a week.” 

The team also invited Mei Blake a professional coach from the Chippewa Valley to help the team

“And she’s here to hopefully give us some guidance, and more practice,” Ji said. 

As the team prepares for the event, Ji also focuses on how this event may have an even greater outreach to the community

“We are the only table tennis club in this area,” Ji said. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to lead our team to play with the other regional universities and colleges, to show our skills in table tennis and to expand our ties with other teams.”

As one of the only clubs in the area, the team hopes to raise awareness and increase involvement by competing at the event. 

“Maybe, through our activities, we will have more young people, you know, freshmen and so forth, to join us,” Ji said. “I hope through this game and the involvement and participation we can give the members great encouragement.”

If you are seeking more information about the event, including times, rules and other resources please visit the NCTTA website. 

If you are seeking more information about the table tennis club, you can visit their Facebook group here or email the club president Carter Tackle here. 

Voelker can be reached at [email protected].