Exuberance is part of Nguyen’s package

Effervescence is Cindy Nguyen’s default setting.

So her reaction to being selected for the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championships might have startled passers-by but wasn’t totally out of character for the University of Hawaii freshman.

Nguyen was planning to hit the beach with a couple of teammates when UH coach Jun Hernandez called to let her know she was headed to Georgia as part of the 64-player NCAA field.

What followed was a burst of spontaneity Nguyen called "a moment of childish joy."

"All of a sudden I started screaming and running in circles and going, ‘Whaaat? No way, this is so awesome.’ I started jumping up and down on the pathway," Nguyen said. "People were staring at me. I’m like, ‘Guys I’m in NCAAs. I can react like this.’ "

The beach would have to wait as Nguyen took her exuberance to the court to train for her final event of the season.

Nguyen — the first UH player to qualify for the NCAA singles tournament — embarked on the cross-country journey after finishing her last final exam of the spring semester Friday. The tournament opens Wednesday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.

An automatic bid is awarded to conferences with a player ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s top 125 and Nguyen earned a spot as the Big West’s top ranked player at No. 123.

The tournament draw is scheduled to be released Tuesday, not that Nguyen’s worried much about scouting potential opponents.

"I know they’re all going to be tough, so there’s no point in even looking at (the list of entrants)," Nguyen said. "I’m just going to have to go out there, show them what I’ve got and hope for the best. … Just play my game, don’t underestimate anyone, but also don’t overestimate anyone because that can be a problem too."

UH was last represented at a national tournament in 1984, when Rosie Thomas and Rosie Vera Cruz qualified for the AIAW/USTA Championships.

"I never would have expected it," Nguyen said. "I would work really hard, but it’s something I wasn’t actually thinking about. To have it come to me, I’m just so honored to be playing for UH and playing for the state of Hawaii."

The Rainbow Wahine went to the NCAA tournament as a team in 2012 after winning the Western Athletic Conference title. Nguyen was focused on helping this year’s team earn another trip while putting together a resume that would earn her individual recognition.

Nguyen went 22-4 overall and 6-1 in Big West matches while playing all but one match in the No. 1 position for the Rainbow Wahine, who finished third in the Big West standings and lost to UC Irvine in the semifinals of the conference tournament. She ended the regular season on an 11-match win streak and was a first-team All-Big West selection.

Nguyen thought her season was over until Hernandez’s call. Since then the intensity of practice picked up while teammates contributed their time to aid in her preparation.

"Some of my teammates have been hitting with me. … They would join me for conditioning, which is really helpful because I know they’re super busy with their finals schedules and to have them still support me and work out with me when they don’t have to, it really makes me feel loved," she said.

Playing for Hernandez has also boosted her love for a sport she began playing at age 4. His enthusiasm and the family atmosphere fostered within the program were among the main draws for Nguyen coming out of Milliken High School in Long Beach, Calif.

"When I was in California, I liked playing, but then I’d always get kind of bored," Nguyen said. "When I came here, I’m on the same courts all the time, but I always want to play because I know every day is going to be a challenge, every day I’m going to be working harder. It’s going to be fun. …I’m so excited to play every day because I know it’s going to be helping me and helping the team.

"In the beginning, the 7 a.m. workouts were kinda like, ‘ugh.’ But to see it pay off, I’m so much happier."