by:
Ben HortonStaff Writer
The Virginia Tech table tennis club, along with the Council of International Student Organizations held their spring semester tournament Sunday.
Seven tables were set up, and the tournament was open to any member of the Tech community.
About 50 people showed up for the event.
Play started with a round robin section of five to six players, and the top four went into a 16-person double-elimination bracket.
Games were played to 11 points, and players had to win by two with the service alternating after two on a side. The first player to win three games won the match.
On the beginner’s side, Quanlei Fang won 3-0 over Hank Chang, and on the advanced side, Konda Chevva won 3-2 over Serkan Dayioglu.
Last weekend the team traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., where the Individual Association of College Unions International Region 5 was held.
Dayioglu and Chevva finished third and fourth, respectively, which qualified them for nationals. As a doubles team, they placed first out of 19 teams.
On the women’s side, Wan-Yin Chang finished second, which qualified her for nationals.
The nationals will be held in City Beach Fremont, Calif. in April.
The Tech table tennis team has played nine dual meets this season and has compiled a perfect record, including wins over the University of Virginia and James Madison University.
The most recent rankings have Tech ranked No. 3 in the nation. The club is made up of 50 members, while the team has 22 members.
It is the biggest college club in the United States, as well as one of the most diverse with members from 25 different countries.
“Most college clubs bring one or two teams to tournaments, while we bring four or five teams,” said Seemant Teotia, club president and team captain.
The success the club has experienced is nothing new. Tech is generally one of the elite teams in the country.
