As a young girl in Vietnam, Tina Huynh loved table tennis. But the sport isn't what originally drew her to a life in the United States.
"When I was younger I watched 'Hannah Montana' and that was my childhood," Huynh said. "I grew up on (the show) and I was like, 'I have to come here one day to see Miley Cyrus.'"
That desire to see Miley Cyrus eventually led Tina to Texas Wesleyan University.
"I looked up table tennis scholarships and this school was the first one that popped up," Huynh said.
Rightfully so. The Rams are among the most successful table tennis programs in the country. Their head coach is 1988 Olympic Bronze Medalist Jasna Rather.
"Those are just a few of the trophies, because we cannot fit them all right here," said Rather as she looked at the trophy case in the lobby of the Texas Wesleyan gym. "We have many (more trophies) in the storage."
The Rams have won 69 national championships among various divisions -- men's, women's, singles and doubles -- since starting table tennis in 2002.
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
What are the keys to success in table tennis? Consistency, countless hours of practice, and an early start in the sport certainly help.
But Victor Segui Barragan, who began playing the sport when he was 10 years old, knows the importance of great coaching too.
"Small team, a small school," Barragan said. "But we have a good leader and good coach and (it just) just came (out) good."
"I feel so proud to be a part of this history and to just to have my name on the roster of such an accomplished team," Huynh said.
An accomplished team that hopes to score more trophies next week at the National Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.
