COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri head tennis coach Bianca Turati announced her second transfer portal acquisition, Lailaa Bashir, on Thursday, June 6. Bashir will use her last year of eligibility in Columbia, having spent her collegiate career with Xavier University of Louisiana (NAIA), Bellarmine and Grand Canyon.
“I experienced a very warm, supportive environment and believe I will have an amazing opportunity to grow and develop into a great player, but most importantly a better person and want to do the same for those around me,” said Bashir on choosing Mizzou.
During her three years at XULA, the Jackson, Mississippi native earned NAIA First-Team All-America honors, including the 2020 season that saw her finish No. 1 in the NAIA’s doubles rankings. Furthermore, she defeated UCLA’s 37th-ranked doubles team at the Oracle ITA Fall National Championships in 2019 before winning the Women’s ITA Cup in doubles during the 2019-20 season.
After her time as a Gold Nugget, Bashir attended Bellarmine for the 2022-23 season, where she racked up 12 wins in doubles and nine in singles, playing primarily in the No. 2 slot. The Mississippi native defeated Kentucky’s Elli Eades for her first Power Five singles win of her career as a Knight. Bashir spent the 2023-24 season at Grand Canyon, earning her second win over a Southeastern Conference opponent, and a singles point in the Western Athletic Conference semifinals against ACU, winning 6-0, 6-2.
“We are thrilled to have added Lailaa to our roster for next year. She certainly has the qualities as a person and a competitor to fit our team culture,” said Coach Turati on Bashir. “Lailaa loves the sport and is hungry to improve her game to prepare for the professional tour. She is a tremendous athlete, very quick and explosive, and has many variations in her game. Lailaa brings experience to a rather young team, which we will need next year. I can’t wait for her to get here with the rest of the team and start working!”
In high school, Bashir won four straight individual championships in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools, including a doubles title in 2019 with Emory Laseter. Additionally, she led Jackson Academy to four consecutive team state championships.
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