OMAHA, Neb. – In new CSM tennis coach Leah Bailey's world, there is no ambition too lofty, no feat too daunting.

The only danger is not dreaming big enough.

That comes directly from her Polynesian-descent family, in which the term "mediocrity'' apparently has been erased from the bylaws.

The eldest of Hema and Mari Heimuli's five children, the former Leah Heimuli went undefeated in her freshman tennis season and earned All-America honors at NCAA Division II BYU-Hawaii. When the school ended its tennis program, Bailey transferred to the University of Utah for two years and then finished her career at Brigham Young University – where her father played football – before joining the coaching staff there.

Bailey has one brother, Jonah, who recently competed in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships for BYU in the 4 x 400-meter relay, and a sister, Hannah, who plays D-I soccer at West Virginia University. She has one brother, Eli, still in high school.

As for her lone post-high school sibling, Micah, who didn't play Division I sports?

"He has a pass since he's doing med school,'' Bailey said with a chuckle, noting that he did consider walking on to the BYU tennis team.

It should be no surprise then that the 27-year-old Bailey, College of Saint Mary's new coach, will put no limits on her players in the tennis program.

"If you push yourself, you can accomplish a lot of things,'' Bailey said. "That mentality of just pushing through sometimes, even when you're tired or you have to study for a test, I think it teaches you that your capacity is a lot bigger than you think it is.''

Bailey landed in Nebraska due to her new husband's schooling. She married fellow Utah native Josh Bailey in December, and he is in chiropractic school in Bellevue, Neb. They are planning to be in Nebraska for at least three years.

Upon arriving, Bailey reached out to some local tennis coaches, and former CSM Tennis Coach Mike Johnson hired her as a tennis pro at Genesis Westroads. When Johnson accepted a new position in Louisville, Ky., ending his tenure with the Flames, "he was very kind in recommending me for this position,'' Bailey said.

More than just the technical aspects of a serve or backhand, Bailey plans to call on her playing experiences to dig deep into the mental aspects of the game with her players.

"One thing that was big for me was being OK with failing,'' she said. "Tennis especially, you lose many points. At times I had a very perfectionist mentality of, I can't make a mistake, why did I make an error – living in the past. Really understanding you have to fail in order to improve – that promotes change. I think that really helped me advance my game.''

Bailey said the more she learned about CSM, the more she liked the fit.

"It's a highly academic school, and I think it really pushes athletes to try to be their best,'' she said. "I think athletics is a really fun environment to be in, because you're always trying to be a little bit better and problem-solve. Being around people that are kind of like-minded like that, I've always enjoyed that.

"I want to get to know them better and just help where I can with their game.''

Bailey said her time at Genesis Westroads, where the Flames often train and compete, gives her a good working knowledge of the returning players. CSM tied for third in the Great Plains Athletic Conference regular-season standings in 2026, its highest finish since 2019.

When she left BYU in 2022 with her sociology degree, Bailey didn't expect to be leading an NAIA women's tennis program in Nebraska four years later.

"It's a fun way to give back,'' she said. "I'm really grateful to be in a head coaching position. Tennis has given me way more than it's taken. I'm just excited to put it all together and see what we can do.''