|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Tournaments |
2005 - 2006 First NCTTA Regionals |
|||||
|
NCTTA Regionals - Sunday, October 30, 2005 - The first NCTTA regional competition of the 05-06 season is hosted by USC. A record 6 schools were in attendance featuring: USC, UC San Diego, UCLA, Caltech, Pepperdine and UC Irvine. With over 60 participants, the gym was packed with competitors and their groupies. For each team match, each school fielded a team of 4 who engaged in 4 singles matches followed by 1 doubles match. The first team to win 3 points is the winner with each match counted as one point. The day was packed with table tennis action as the colleges duked it out on the table. The first championship match was the women's event between the two women's teams present at the competition, USC represented by Vega Shah, Jaydi Samuels, Chloe Nguyen and Amy McWethy, up against UCSD's line-up of Charmaine Li, Lingyun Zhang, Dan Liu and Ling Meng. The first singles match between Vega and Charmaine was a hot one that never cooled down. Both players came out with their best stuff with Vega pulling out her best serves, blocking and attacking at every opportunity while Charmaine responded with some good flat smashes and controlled play. Vega wins the first two games 11-3, 11-7 hot from the start. Charmaine then pulls out the next game at 11-8 with Vega seemingly losing momentum. However, Vega finds her rhythm again in the 4th game winning the set and the match 11-3.
The next match pits USC's Jaydi Samuels against UCSD's Lingyun Zhang. Coming hot off JV victories earlier in the day, Jaydi is poised to strike. However, the ball of Lingyun is steady, controlled and doesn't have the pace Jaydi needs to get going. Jaydi never really finds her attacking rhythm and plays too tightly and conservatively and misses a few key points and loses the match 11-8, 11-7, 11-9. The match tied at 1-1, the next two set of singles matches may yield a winner. USC's Chloe Nguyen plays UCSD's Dan Liu. Chloe takes control of the match right away with good serves and follow-up attacks winning the first game 11-6. Dan seems nervous and doesn't get into an attacking rhythm while Chloe plays freely only losing points on her own errors. Chloe keeps up her pace and takes the match 11-6, 11-6, 11-6.
Chloe takes a forehand drive__________________________________________________Whoa....intense, girl. The next singles match is between USC's Amy McWethy (tennis player and Alpha Chi Omega girl) vs. UCSD's Ling Meng. The match starts and ends with Amy taking all her shots and making everything while Ling is unable to adjust to the strange, side-spinning shots created by Amy's tennis-style stroke. Ling never gets a rhythm and loses the match 11-2, 11-2, 11-1.
Nice headband_____________________________________Amy's Tennis-style backhand Finally, the doubles match puts USC's top two players against UCSD's top two. Vega/Jaydi vs. Charmaine/Lingyun. USC is having trouble with their footwork and control of the first three balls and can't seem to get into a rhythm and go down the first two games 6-11, 9-11. Neither Vega nor Jaydi are playing their best while the UCSD duo is capitalizing on the loose balls and putting away shots as they come. USC then rally's to win the 3rd game at 11-7 but then UCSD comes out strong again in the 4th and deciding game as they win 11-5.
The final results is USC comes out on top by one point 3-2. On the men's side after a lot of good tables tennis, close games, heartbreaks and lunchbreaks, the standings are: USC (4-0), UCSD (4-0), UCLA (3-2), Caltech (2-3), UC Irvine (1-4) and Pepperdine (0-5). With all the matches played except one, USC and UCSD prepare for the finals. USC's men's squad is made up of Kedar Dave, Victor Cheng, Imran Pariyani and Marek Szpakiewicz while UCSD's line-up is Derrick Poon, Tom Plaisted, Wallace Liu and KeiShun Ma. Both teams the powerhouses of college table tennis in Southern California gear up for the singles matches. USC's Kedar Dave takes on Derrick Poon. The first game, Derrick comes out with loop-drives blazing off the 3rd ball while Kedar cannot find his rhythm losing the first game 6-11. Then, Kedar begins warming up and taking dynamic and unpredictable shots that leave Derrick standing or diving for the ball. Derrick tries to get in a few attacks of his own but Kedar being so tall and lanky simply runs back and chops them back with maximum backspin forcing Derrick to work just to get the ball over the net. This pattern keeps up as Kedar takes the next 3 games 11-4, 11-4, 11-4.
Kedar serves as Derrick tries to receive well___________Kedar fakes Derrick out with a tricky inside-out shot._____Derrick prepares to receive The next singles match is between USC's Victor Cheng and UCSD's Tom Plaisted. Tom is heavily favored to win due to his controlled attacking style. However, Victor is a tiger and never gives up without a little kicking and screaming...maybe a lot of kicking and screaming. Tom plays steadily while Victor tries to control the game with quick and powerful attacks. Tom returns ball after ball forcing Victor out of position forcing many errors. Tom wins the first two games 11-7 and 11-6. The third game, more of Victor's shots begin beating Tom with Victor celebrating after every point won. Victor pulls out a tight 3rd game 11-9 and looks to do it again. However, Tom begins to get used to Victor's rhythm and gets a few attacks in of his own, ending the game and taking the match at 11-6.
Every shot is a put-away shot for Victor______________________Every point is a party too.
Tom's forhand_______________________________getting ready to loop one With the teams tied 1-1, it is now time for the 2nd set of singles matches. USC's Imran Pariyani takes on Wallace Liu. Both players have similar mid-distance counter-spinning styles with Imran being a little more aggressive with his forehand while Wallace is a controlled two-wing looper. The match is tight and the points are beautiful as both players run and take full swings from 4-10 ft. from the table. Imran takes the first game 11-8 and seems in control of the next one but every time near the end when Imran has a game point, Wallace comes back and scores 2, 3, 4 points in a row. This makes Imran drop 2 games in a row at deuce 12-10, 12-10 having game point in both games but failing to convert. The players match each other point for point in the 4th game but Imran pulls away at 9-9 with two gutsy plays taking the game 11-9 and tying the match at 2-2. The final and deciding game is suspensful and exciting with the respective cheering sections exploding in applause after every point. It looks as if Imran is going to take it going up 9-7, but again Imran has trouble converting and Wallace scores 3 points in a row to turn the tables. After an intense rally of 4 or 5 full power shots by Wallace into Imran's backhand, Wallace tries to finish it down the line, but Imran's fast footwork gets him there in time to take a big counter-loop that beats Wallace wide. Deuce...Wallace gets another match point at 11-10 and it looks like it's all over as Imran is in the back court trying to retrieve smash after smash. Wallace drives one deep and low to the forehand side as Imran makes a diving retrieve, giving Wallace an easy putaway shot. The USC crowd's heart stops as they watch Wallace about to tee-off on the ball...but NO! Somehow Wallace misses it into the net and the crowd explodes!!! Imran has saved an amazing 2nd match point. With that momentum, Imran takes control and makes a few gutsy shots and wins 2 points in a row taking the match at 13-11.
Imran takes a backhand down the line______________Intense focus as he prepares to receive serve.
Wallace about to block with his backhand___________Wallace takes a forehand cross-court. At the same time, USC's Marek Szpakiewicz is battling it out with UCSD's KeiShun Ma. Marek is having some trouble dealing with KeiShuns fast pips-out blocking and hitting and is having trouble getting to the ball as Keishun moves him all over the table. Both players trade games and at 2-2, the match is tied at 9-9 with neither player seeming to have the upper hand. Marek scores a point off a blocking error by Keishun and has a match point opportunity at 10-9. However, his attack hits the net-tape and flies out by inches. The players trade points each one having 2 match point opportunties each but neither one able to convert. At 13-13, Keishun serves a fast one cross-court that catches Marek off-guard. Then at 13-14, Marek misses a heart-breaking loop into the net! Keishun takes the match at 15-13 and ties the team match at 2-2.
Marek looping forehands
The speed of Keishun Ma So it comes down to the doubles match as USC fields Imran/Kedar against Tom/Derrick. The first game is a complete disaster as USC scores only 2 points, but UCSD got quite a bit of luck with 3 or 4 net-balls and 2 edges. The next games are tighter as USC strengthens their service-receive game winning the next 2 11-8 and 13-11. The fourth game, USC dominates as UCSD seems to lose speed losing the game 11-3. Game set and match to USC in a final 3-2 victory over UCSD! Much of the doubles success came from Kedar's ability to retrieve looped balls with heavy, heavy chop forcing several shots into the net by UCSD as well as Imran's fast footwork and counter-attacking ability from off the table. We'll have to see who comes out on top next semester at the 2nd regional competition. | ||
© 2006 Princess. Email the webmaster. |
Vega serves and takes a forehand attack 
..................................
Jaydi
serves as Vega prepares for the return in doubles
_______________________
