The New York University fencing team opened competition at the 2026 NCAA Fencing Championships on Thursday, March 19, at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN, with Katherine Chen representing the Violets in women's epee.

Chen turned in a solid performance on the opening day, finishing with a 7–8 record across her bouts against a deep national field. After the opening rounds of competition, she sits 16th out of 24 fencers heading into Friday's final day, while NYU currently ranks 18th out of the 26 qualified schools in women's team standings.

"Katherine showed tremendous composure today, battling through a highly competitive field and earning several key victories," said Head Coach Ben Bratton. "We're expecting another challenging day, but with that same resilience and focus, I'm confident she can continue to climb the standings."

After a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Regional Championships, Chen qualified for the NCAA Championships and earned United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) Second Team All-Region honors.

Competing against some of the nation's top fencers, she showed resilience throughout the day while navigating a demanding schedule of bouts.

Chen will return to the strip on Friday, March 20, for the final day of women's competition, where she will look to improve her standing and make a push in the overall rankings as the tournament concludes.

Following the conclusion of the women's events, NYU will next be represented in the men's competition later in the week.