By Bill Sheehan

Cal State Fullerton's No. 1 singles player Sein Myoung just wrapped up a perfect 9-0 regular season in the Big West. The first of those wins, which came at home against UC San Diego, was anything but easy. 

Facing graduate transfer Julia Haynes, Myoung led 6-3, 5-3 when she suffered cramps. "It was super-hot, and I laid down on the sidelines and couldn't get up or walk," she said. 'I was crying for the first time ever in a tennis match. My coaches asked me if I wanted to stop playing, and I said, 'No!' " 

After a medical timeout, Myoung returned to the court. Unable to jump, she served underhanded and lost the second set, 7-5. Meanwhile, as Fullerton clinched a team victory, Myoung and Haynes continued their duel. In a tiebreaker used in lieu of a third set. Myoung outlasted her opponent, 10-4. 

"I had lost to Julia at a fall tournament. She hits consistent ground strokes and never misses, but she was getting tired too. It was crazy. I just really wanted to win that match." 

Myoung, who hails from Hwaseong-si, South Korea, has an overall record of 14-4 in singles and 9-8 in doubles. "Last season, I was a little confused because everything was new and different. This year, I knew more what was going on. I have a better variety of shots, and I trust myself more," said the 20-year-old, whose name is pronounced SAY-in ME-yung 


Sein Myoung was named All-Big West Singles First Team and Doubles Second Team last year. She brings inspiration to the Titans with her ability to fight, compete and win, says Fullerton tennis head coach Ellie Johnson.

The Titans, 10-9 overall and 4-5 in conference, will play CSUN in the first round of the 10-team Big West Championship. The match, which pits the #6 seed (CSUN) versus the #7 seed (Fullerton), will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego. Fullerton lost at CSUN, 2-5, this month in a Big West match. 

The tournament winner will earn its conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Women's Tennis Championship. UC Santa Barbara (14-8, 9-0) is the top seed. 

"Our team is ready. We know what we need to do," said Ellie Johnson, Fullerton's first-year head coach. "Our earlier match against CSUN came down to just a few points and shots. We have confidence that we can win this time." 

Many players returned from last year's Fullerton's team, which lost to Cal Poly in the Big West championship match. "What the team did last year gives us a lot on confidence. It's very possible to win each of these upcoming games," said Johnson. 

"This is a good opportunity for us to show we are playing stronger with more confidence," said Myoung. "I have a positive feeling about this match. We'll prepare as usual in practice and apply it to the match. We can adjust if needed during play." 

Myoung's ability to adjust and adapt is just one of her many strengths, said Johnson. "Sein can win a point at the net or grind it up from the baseline. She is confident in problem-solving on the court and works through ways to win matches." 

"She plays like no other, and she has proved it all season. Sein can rally for wins, and for her, no match is over until it is over. She brings inspiration to the team with her ability to fight, compete and win. And she does it with grace. Everyone wants to be like her." 

Myoung stumbled at the beginning of the year, losing her first three singles matches. She huddled with Johnson and assistant coach Patrick Tierro to help get back on track. "It's very comfortable to talk with Ellie. She knows what is going on in our head. We are close and on the same page." 

"I began focusing on every single point -- every tiny single one – and didn't look ahead toward the big picture. That made me feel more relaxed." 

This new strategy has paid dividends. Since the Titans' match against Sacramento State on Feb. 16, Myoung has won 15 out of 16 singles matches playing in the No. 1 spot.

"I'm trusting myself more on both the physical and mental sides. Offensively, I've become more aggressive, taking higher risk shots such as lobs, drop shots, backhands and angle shots." 

"I've had a lot more pressure and responsibility this season. I try to create positive energy for my teammates. And I get energized from the cheers I receive from my teammates," said Myoung. 

In doubles, she and Milena Gevorgyan are 8-5 overall. "We have a good partnership and set each up for good shots," said Myoung. "We just play one set in double. It goes so fast, so you must be focused right from the start."

 
Sein Myoung and Milena Gevorgyan, have been the No.1 doubles partner pairing for most of the 2025 season.

Gevorgyan, a junior from Armenia, said Myoung is very supportive as a doubles partner. "It's fun to play with Sein, I'm not stressed out. She always behaves calmly. I can't tell if she is nervous or not." 

"Sein is a very positive and hard-working person. She is a really good role model because of the way she teaches us how to be a good teammate. She brings a positive energy to the court." 

For the last two years, Myoung has used a Head Extreme racket. "At first, it felt weird. I had been using a super-firm Head Gravity, so it seemed like every ball that left the racket was a soft shot. Now I really like it. It's easy to control, and it has a cute color – bright yellow."  

In South Korea, Myoung didn't pick up a racket until she was 10 years old. "My dad wanted to learn tennis and found a court. I was just sitting there watching when the instructor gave me a kids racket and offered to hit." 


Sein Myoung, age 10, participates in her first tennis competition, a Red Ball Tournament for children. Her father, Bujin Cho, stands behind her. 

"Around that time, I had been playing the piano. I found it kind of boring, sitting in a room all day and playing the same song. I really liked to move and run, so I asked my parents if I could concentrate on tennis. They said yes – they always agree with what I want to do," she joked. 

After joining a tennis club, she began playing in tournaments across South Korea and later competed on the South Korean junior national team. She played one year of high school tennis before enrolling in the Global Champions Makers Tennis Academy, known as GMC. By then, she was playing in international tournaments, including events in Florida.

 
Sein Myoung competes in a tournament as a 12-year-old. She later competed on the South Korean junior national team.  

"As a parent, I wasn't crazy about the focus on tennis. But Sein trained appropriately without overdoing it and wasn't completely obsessed with it. She got enough rest and studied," said her father, Bujin Cho. "Unlike other Korean tennis players, she had other hobbies like swimming, ice skating in addition to piano and violin." 

She quit tennis for a year when she was in middle school. "Sein was about 15 and wanted to focus more on studying. After that, she started playing tennis again and became more focused on the game," her father said. 

Myoung is thankful neither her father nor her mother, Junghoon Myoung, pressured her to play tennis. "If my parents had been tennis players and had really been into it, I wouldn't have played tennis." 

She was offered a scholarship to Fullerton by former Titans head coach Trang Huynh-McClain. "Sein had gone overseas frequently since she was young and became familiar with foreign friends, food and cultures. And her language skills naturally had improved, so I don't think she had any aversion to living abroad. She was Americanized from a young age," said her father. 

Cho is a technology specialist at a Korean automotive company. Her mother recently began managing a small coffee shop. She has a 17-year-old brother, Junyi. They live in the city Hwaseong-si n Gyeonggi Province, about a 30-minute drive south from the capital, Seoul.

 
At a family birthday, Sein Myoung is joined by her mother, Junghoon Myoung, her father, Bujin Cho, and her younger brother, Junyi. 

Myoung is majoring in business at Fullerton. She will likely choose marketing or management as her concentration. She stays busy in her free time as a foodie, said Gevorgyan, her teammate." 

"Sein likes to eat all different types of food, and she especially likes sweets. And she knows where to find good Korean food. She enjoys going to the beach and spending time with friends as well as exploring and doing fun stuff," Gevorgyan said. 

Myoung's favorite tennis figures are Swiss legend Roger Federer and the recently retired Simone Halep of Romania. She praised Federer's demeanor, saying he "is really nice and has good manners." Myoung admired Halep for her playing style. "Like me, she wasn't tall. She had good hands and footwork, and she hit sharp shots," she said. 

Johnson, Fullerton's coach, said the 5-foot-3 Myoung has a high ceiling for success. "She hasn't tapped into her full potential yet. Sein is hungry to improve. Working on her strength and fitness will help take her game to the next level." 

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