Asia Trend Magazine — August 2007
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‘Ping Pong Knights’
The UCF Table Tennis Team, or the ‘Ping Pong Knights’ as they are also known as around campus, have a lot to be thankful for. Mentioned in USA Table Tennis magazine twice in the last year, the team posses a certain type of social awareness. Combined with the athleticism and training regiment of its players, it makes for a truly unique UCF Sport Club. President Dave Llona, a sophomore at UCF, was more than impressed when he first encountered a team practice his freshman year. Upon entering the team’s practice facility, Llona was shocked to find out that his beloved sport of ‘ping pong’ had taken on an entirely different shape at UCF than what he was traditionally used to. Fast-paced rallies, lobbing and smashing, and shots from 10 feet behind the table are not uncommon. Llona was instantly hooked.
Any UCF student can try out for the team, and there is even a table reserved for those players who just want to come have fun. The teams competitive nature and talented players are among the top in the nation. The team continues to climb its way up the ranks of the NCTTA (National Collegiate Table Tennis Association - www.nctta.org) rankings, and just recently achieved a very respectful ranking of 25th in the nation, out of 140+ university teams. Being ranked in ‘the top 25’ is a coveted achievement sought by teams in many
different collegiate sports.
The team practices on Tuesdays and Sundays in the UCF Ferrell Auditorium, and there are 5 tables for members to play on. When they are not taking part in team practices, some members make the drive to the two other Orlando area table tennis clubs: The Orlando Table Tennis Club and the Central Florida Table Tennis Club. Both hold practices regularly, and even host nationally sanctioned tournaments by the USATT (USA Table Tennis). And the best part is, anyone can get involved! The sport of table tennis is a sport for a lifetime - not to mention fun, challenging, and rewarding - and can be a great way to get in shape.
To inquire more about membership in the club, visit their website: www.pingpongknights.com / www.myspace.com/pingpongknights
Any UCF student can try out for the team, and there is even a table reserved for those players who just want to come have fun. The teams competitive nature and talented players are among the top in the nation. The team continues to climb its way up the ranks of the NCTTA (National Collegiate Table Tennis Association - www.nctta.org) rankings, and just recently achieved a very respectful ranking of 25th in the nation, out of 140+ university teams. Being ranked in ‘the top 25’ is a coveted achievement sought by teams in many
different collegiate sports.
The team practices on Tuesdays and Sundays in the UCF Ferrell Auditorium, and there are 5 tables for members to play on. When they are not taking part in team practices, some members make the drive to the two other Orlando area table tennis clubs: The Orlando Table Tennis Club and the Central Florida Table Tennis Club. Both hold practices regularly, and even host nationally sanctioned tournaments by the USATT (USA Table Tennis). And the best part is, anyone can get involved! The sport of table tennis is a sport for a lifetime - not to mention fun, challenging, and rewarding - and can be a great way to get in shape.
To inquire more about membership in the club, visit their website: www.pingpongknights.com / www.myspace.com/pingpongknights
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