Kelly Yenn’s Rookie NCTTA Run Puts Harvard Table Tennis on the Map
By Michael Reff
Press Committee Chair
Harvard elite table tennis player Kelly Yenn, the #2 seed in the NCTTA Women’s Singles event, certainly made a name for herself and her university at her first NCTTA Championships in Rockford, IL.
A freshman studying Economics, Neuroscience, and Computer Science, Yenn balances rigorous academics with high-calibre table tennis.
At the NCTTA Championships, she capitalized on her mental and physical strengths with a powerful double-winged attack, fast footwork, and an iron will that was demonstrated when she was down 5-10 in the fourth game of her Women’s team match against UCLA’s Joanna Sung. She went on to win 7 points in a row to secure the match at 3-1!
Though not defeating the eventual Women’s team champions, Yenn’s expertise would help lead her squad to a 3rd place finish in the Women’s event over #2 seeded NYU.
She would go on to have a rematch against #3 seeded Sung, defeating her yet again 4-1 in this best-of-7 semifinals match for the Women’s Singles event.
In the finals, Yenn faced off against Boston’s Emily Tan, the #4 seed, who had dispatched #1 seeded Sarah Jalli of Baylor in her semifinals match.
After already playing in the Women’s and Coed Team’s events, Yenn dipped into her reserves, and kicked it into a higher gear with a clean, 4-0 sweep against Tan, ultimately claiming the Women’s Singles title, a first for Harvard!
I initially touched base with Kelly, a Hong Kong Women’s Singles Open champion, at the beginning of her NCTTA career this year, where she had expressed enthusiasm about “making camaraderie and new core memories.”
I caught up with her again after she clinched the Women’s Singles title. She told me she is “Thankful for the sport- it’s taught me so so much- it’s taught me analytical thinking, teamwork, mentality, about life, etc. invaluable relationships I’ve made through the sport.”
She also said, “and thank you to those who watched the NCTTA Nationals livestream from Hong Kong and for their support.”
Furthermore, Kelly expressed gratitude for a multitude of firsts, from competing in the USA, to playing on behalf of Harvard and having such a supportive team.
“I could not thank my team enough,” Yenn reflected. “Each and every single one of them, they are just wonderful. Everyone is very supportive of each other, mentally supportive…”
When I remarked about Harvard’s women team also getting third place, she mentioned that it was quite an achievement for the university because “This is Harvard’s first time getting an award in table tennis for 15 years or more. It feels extra wonderful to be able to give this title to Harvard."
Congratulations to Kelly Yenn and the rest of her Harvard teammates for putting the elite university on the map with their impressive NCTTA achievements!
(Photo of Harvard freshman Kelly Yenn in action! Photo credit to Dennis Yanga)