STATESBORO - Georgia Southern Head Women's Tennis Coach Sean McCaffrey has announced the signing of a pair of student-athletes who have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Sun Belt Champion Eagles this Fall.
Dana Heimen (5-11 / Ketsch, Germany) and Luise Reisel (5-9 / Frankfurt, Germany) will each join Georgia Southern women's tennis for the upcoming 2021-22 season as true freshmen.
"I'm extremely excited about this year's incoming freshman class," Coach McCaffrey said. "I believe that both Dana and Luise will fit in very well with our existing team culture. They are both very motivated to succeed, and I'm eager to have them join their new teammates and watch the entire squad develop even further."
Dana Heimen
5-11
Ketsch, Germany
Graduated from Privatgymnasium Mannheim and played club for TC Ludwigshafen Oppau ... Helped her club team achieve vice-champion in the 2. Bundesliga in 2019, after being promoted from the Regionalliga ... Heimen made her debut in the women's league at age 10 and debuted in 2. Bundesliga at age 12 ... 2x runners-up in the German U14 and U16 doubles championships ... Won the U18 region championship in Rheinland-Pfalz at the age of 13 ... Also captured the regional championship of Baden ... Father, Dieter, played professional soccer in Germany as a goalkeeper.
Coach McCaffrey: "Dana has a close connection with our assistant coach, Lena Lutzeier, and we could see early on in the process that she would be one of the top recruits of any NCAA Division I program in the nation for 2021-22. When the Eagles proved to be among the strongest in the Sun Belt Conference, the Southeast region and finally on the National stage, I feel that it solidified her level of belief that this program was the right one for her to continue to develop her game. With learning from both Lena and myself, as well as the rest of the team, the sky is the limit for Dana. She has lofty goals that fit right into what our plans are here at Georgia Southern, and we are eager to help her achieve those goals. We welcome Dana to the Eagle tennis family and look forward to watching all she will do as a student-athlete here in Statesboro!"
From Dana: "I chose Georgia Southern because of the great coaching staff and the results the coaches have obtained in recent years since their arrival. Another reason is the fantastic sports facilities and the professional environment of the University. I can't wait to be an Eagle! 🦅"
Luise Reisel
5-9
Frankfurt, Germany
Nickname is "Lulu" ... Graduated from Kurpfalz Gymnasium in Mannheim ... Played club for Eintracht Frankfurt ... Named the Eagle of the Year in 2019 ... Her best results of 2020 in the German League include a 4-6, 6-3, (11-9) win over current UCLA senior Vivian Wolff and a 6-4, 4-6, (12-10) win over #94 Hannah Nagel ... She also notched a 6-3, 6-1 win over #78 Maja Jekauc in the Dunlop SW Circuit as well as a 7-5, 6-4 win over Marisa Schmidt ... Has captured several national tournament wins over her junior career and was ranked No. 1 in her state.
Coach McCaffrey: "Luise was considered to be another one of the strongest recruits this past year. Lulu had the interest of a number of strong P5 programs who were eager to bring her into their respective schools, but I believe she identified something special in our team culture, chemistry and dynamic here at Georgia Southern. I could tell right from the beginning that she possessed an amazing level of passion for the game of tennis, as well as a very high tennis IQ to go with her dedicated desire to perform well in her academics. Top that off with her great enthusiasm for being part of a winning culture. I believe Lulu will make an immediate impact with her Eagle tennis teammates and we are very excited about welcoming her here to Georgia Southern!"
From Luise: "The reason why I decided to come to Georgia Southern is simple. It just clicked for me in the moment, where I noticed how important the team bonding, program atmosphere and the positive team culture is. As well as the strong work ethic and the motivation to improve every single woman on the team. I have this gut feeling about GS and that usually never disappoints me. I immediately felt that Georgia Southern University was the right choice for me. I can't even put my excitement into words. We will grow and achieve great things together as a team, I can feel it. I can't wait to meet up with the girls, Lena and Coach. I am already counting the days. I'm so, so ready for this new chapter in my life. GATA and Go EAGLES!"
Georgia Southern went 19-9 in 2021, capturing the Sun Belt Conference tournament title and earning the program's first berth into the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships. The Eagles return seven players from last season's squad for 2022, including first-team All-Sun Belt Conference singles player Nadja Meier and first-team All-Sun Belt Conference doubles player Sophie Wagemaker.
