Completed Event: Women's Tennis versus California on May 1, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 4
Final Score
Women's Tennis
1
vs California
4
The University of Utah Athletics
Photo by: Steve C. Wilson
Leah Heimuli: Growing Through Tennis
11/28/2018 10:01 AM | Women's Tennis
By Riley Elliott
Athletics Communications Student Assistant
Growing up in Highland, Utah, Leah Heimuli got her start to the sport of tennis at an early age. Before Heimuli was born, her parents decided that they wanted all of their kids to play a sport, and they wanted her to give tennis a shot.
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"I started playing tennis at six. But before I was born, my parents wanted all of their kids to play a sport. When they found out that I was a girl, they wanted me to play a sport that was feminine and independent," explained Heimuli. "Being alone on the court teaches you a lot about yourself, and my parents wanted that for me. I didn't think my parents realized that it was going to be this hard, but it's been a really fun journey."
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As she developed in the sport, she was coached by her father, who was one of her main influences with the sport. When she became of age, her father coached her through her first tournaments and competitions. Playing in tournaments in state and out of state, it helped her become the player that she is today.
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"I started playing competitive tennis when I was around the age of 10, playing in state tournaments. When I was 14, I started traveling more and playing tournaments in other states, in order to try and go to nationals. Utah is great, but you had to go out of state to get better and play better competition," said Heimuli.
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Attending Lone Peak High School in Highland, she played all four years in the tennis program for the Knights. Heimuli was a four-time all-region selection, helping lead team to three straight state championships, and was also the team captain during her senior year. With all of the experience that she gained from playing tennis at Lone Peak, it helped her prepare for collegiate level tennis.
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"Lone Peak was a fun experience, I met a lot of cool people there," Heimuli recalled. "We always had a really solid team because we had a lot of girls who would play competitively all year round. I think with being a captain, you learn a lot about team relationships and the overall experience as a team, which helped me prepare for the next level."
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After her time at Lone Peak was over with, Heimuli committed to play collegiate tennis at BYU-Hawaii for her freshman season. Her motivation for attending BYU-Hawaii was mainly because of the coaching staff, and she knew that it was a program that would help her develop as a player.
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"I went to BYU-Hawaii as a building year, to gain experience and improve my game. It was a good year to learn about the collegiate level and learn about the competition I would be facing. I met a lot of people there that were from all over the world and they really pushed me to be better, and helped me be the person that I am today," said Heimuli.
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At BYU-Hawaii as a freshman, she was an All-American in doubles play, ITA Rookie of the Year in 2017, and Pacwest Freshman of the Year. She was able to post a perfect 24-0 in singles and 19-0 in doubles play, helping the Seasiders to its 11th consecutive Pacwest Conference championship. With the successful freshman year that Heimuli had, she was able to take away many things from that season that has helped her develop as a player.
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"Some of my biggest takeaways would be, how important team unity is and how important it is to support each other," Heimuli recalled. "I also learned to always have a positive belief in yourself, because when I came in, I didn't think that I would accomplish a lot. By being surrounded by people and having a coach that really motivated and pushed you, it just really helped me reach those standards."
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When her freshman season was over with the Seasiders, BYU-Hawaii's athletic program came to an end. BYU-Hawaii had announced this decision in 2014, in hopes to increase international student enrollment. With the fate of the athletics program, Heimuli had to find somewhere to finish out the rest of her tennis career, with the University of Utah being her next destination.
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"I got an offer from Mat Iandolo to come here for my final three years and I decided to take it, said Heimuli. "I'm kind of a homebody as well, and I love being close to my family, so that was a big part in coming here. Also, Pac-12 competition is great, having an opportunity to play against some of the top talent in the nation was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up."
Â
During her first season with the Utes as a sophomore, she decided to use her Redshirt, due to an injury that caused her to miss most of the season. With this upcoming season expected to be her first full year with the Utes, she has high expectations for herself and the team as a whole.
Â
"This year, the biggest goal I have for myself, is to be as competitive as I can, be positive, and have a good sense of composure on the court so that I can play at my best level. As a team, our biggest goals are to be able to qualify for all of the big tournaments at the end of the year. We just hope to be a really solid team and support each other all the way through the season," said Heimuli.
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As she continues her tennis career with Utah for the next three years, she is also pursuing a major in marketing through the business school. She is currently in the business scholars program, and is excited for where business scholars will take her as a career. Along with finishing out her tennis career as a Ute, she hopes to finish her degree and see where life takes her, enjoying every second that she gets to spend at the University of Utah.
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Athletics Communications Student Assistant
Growing up in Highland, Utah, Leah Heimuli got her start to the sport of tennis at an early age. Before Heimuli was born, her parents decided that they wanted all of their kids to play a sport, and they wanted her to give tennis a shot.
Â
"I started playing tennis at six. But before I was born, my parents wanted all of their kids to play a sport. When they found out that I was a girl, they wanted me to play a sport that was feminine and independent," explained Heimuli. "Being alone on the court teaches you a lot about yourself, and my parents wanted that for me. I didn't think my parents realized that it was going to be this hard, but it's been a really fun journey."
Â
As she developed in the sport, she was coached by her father, who was one of her main influences with the sport. When she became of age, her father coached her through her first tournaments and competitions. Playing in tournaments in state and out of state, it helped her become the player that she is today.
Â
"I started playing competitive tennis when I was around the age of 10, playing in state tournaments. When I was 14, I started traveling more and playing tournaments in other states, in order to try and go to nationals. Utah is great, but you had to go out of state to get better and play better competition," said Heimuli.
Â
Attending Lone Peak High School in Highland, she played all four years in the tennis program for the Knights. Heimuli was a four-time all-region selection, helping lead team to three straight state championships, and was also the team captain during her senior year. With all of the experience that she gained from playing tennis at Lone Peak, it helped her prepare for collegiate level tennis.
Â
"Lone Peak was a fun experience, I met a lot of cool people there," Heimuli recalled. "We always had a really solid team because we had a lot of girls who would play competitively all year round. I think with being a captain, you learn a lot about team relationships and the overall experience as a team, which helped me prepare for the next level."
Â
After her time at Lone Peak was over with, Heimuli committed to play collegiate tennis at BYU-Hawaii for her freshman season. Her motivation for attending BYU-Hawaii was mainly because of the coaching staff, and she knew that it was a program that would help her develop as a player.
Â
"I went to BYU-Hawaii as a building year, to gain experience and improve my game. It was a good year to learn about the collegiate level and learn about the competition I would be facing. I met a lot of people there that were from all over the world and they really pushed me to be better, and helped me be the person that I am today," said Heimuli.
Â
At BYU-Hawaii as a freshman, she was an All-American in doubles play, ITA Rookie of the Year in 2017, and Pacwest Freshman of the Year. She was able to post a perfect 24-0 in singles and 19-0 in doubles play, helping the Seasiders to its 11th consecutive Pacwest Conference championship. With the successful freshman year that Heimuli had, she was able to take away many things from that season that has helped her develop as a player.
Â
"Some of my biggest takeaways would be, how important team unity is and how important it is to support each other," Heimuli recalled. "I also learned to always have a positive belief in yourself, because when I came in, I didn't think that I would accomplish a lot. By being surrounded by people and having a coach that really motivated and pushed you, it just really helped me reach those standards."
Â
When her freshman season was over with the Seasiders, BYU-Hawaii's athletic program came to an end. BYU-Hawaii had announced this decision in 2014, in hopes to increase international student enrollment. With the fate of the athletics program, Heimuli had to find somewhere to finish out the rest of her tennis career, with the University of Utah being her next destination.
Â
"I got an offer from Mat Iandolo to come here for my final three years and I decided to take it, said Heimuli. "I'm kind of a homebody as well, and I love being close to my family, so that was a big part in coming here. Also, Pac-12 competition is great, having an opportunity to play against some of the top talent in the nation was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up."
Â
During her first season with the Utes as a sophomore, she decided to use her Redshirt, due to an injury that caused her to miss most of the season. With this upcoming season expected to be her first full year with the Utes, she has high expectations for herself and the team as a whole.
Â
"This year, the biggest goal I have for myself, is to be as competitive as I can, be positive, and have a good sense of composure on the court so that I can play at my best level. As a team, our biggest goals are to be able to qualify for all of the big tournaments at the end of the year. We just hope to be a really solid team and support each other all the way through the season," said Heimuli.
Â
As she continues her tennis career with Utah for the next three years, she is also pursuing a major in marketing through the business school. She is currently in the business scholars program, and is excited for where business scholars will take her as a career. Along with finishing out her tennis career as a Ute, she hopes to finish her degree and see where life takes her, enjoying every second that she gets to spend at the University of Utah.
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