Heimuli and Jiao among BYU players to advance at the ITA Regional Championships

LAS VEGAS – Leah Heimuli and Kate Cusick Truman advanced to the Round of 16 in the main doubles draw at the ITA Regional Championships on Thursday.

Heimuli also advanced to the quarterfinals of the Flight B singles, alongside teammate Helen Jiao.

“We battled physically and mentally today,” said BYU women’s tennis head coach Holly Parkinson Hasler. "The girls were up against some tough competitors in windy conditions. We need to eat well and rest up for another long day of matches tomorrow."

Leah Heimuli had a solid showing in the ITA Regional Championships during both the singles and doubles flights of competition. In her first singles match, she put up a strong 6-0, 6-0 finish against Idaho State’s Megan Poe. Later in her round of 16, Heimuli won in a convincing two-set match against Northern Arizona’s Elinor Beazley 7-6, 7-5 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Alongside her doubles partner Kate Cusick Truman, the duo won their doubles match against Utah State’s Annaliese County and Lucy Octave 8-5, and advanced to Friday’s Round of 16. The Cougars Emilee Astle and Madeline Almeida lost in a close 6-8 match against Northern Arizona’s Chiara Tomasetti and Emilie Haakansson.

BYU's Helen Jiao defeated Air Force Academy’s Alex Kuo 6-3, 7-6 in Flight Two Round of 32, following it up with another win in three sets against New Mexico’s Myu Kageyama 3-6, 6-0, 6-3. Morgan Hall lost to Reno’s Anastaysha Gorbacheva 1-6, 0-6 in that same flight.

Emma Jewell also won her round of 32 match 0-6, 7-5, 6-2 against Reno’s Selina Turulja, but lost her bid to the quarterfinals in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-7 in a late-night finish against Air Force Academy’s Courtney Swift. 

In the main singles draw Round of 32, Almeida fell to Utah’s Lindsay Hung 0-6, 4-6, and Abramyan lost in a close three-set match 4-6, 6-0, 1-6.

The Cougars will continue competing in the ITA Regional Championships on Friday.