ARLINGTON – UT Arlington head softball coach Kara Dill has announced the addition of former Mississippi State standout and Long Beach City College assistant coach Fa Leilua (FAH lay-Loo-ah) to join her inaugural staff as an assistant coach.
 
"I am thrilled to bring Fa's positive energy to our program," said Dill. "Her knowledge and passion to develop hitters will elevate our offense to new heights. I expect the players will feel empowered by Fa's ability to communicate and pour into those around her."
 
Leilua currently plays in the Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF) with Smash It Sports where she recently wrapped up her first season in the league. She comes to Arlington following the 2022 season with Long Beach City College where she helped lead the Vikings to a 29-13 record in just her first coaching stint. Leilua played three seasons (2019-21) for Mississippi State after spending three years at Arizona State (2016-18).
 
"I am so excited to be a part of this team and family," stated Leilua. "This is going to be an exciting year and I cannot wait to hit the ground running with these group of girls and phenomenal coaching staff." 

This past year, the Hawthorne, Calif., native led LBCC to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California Super Regional Playoffs for a best-of-three series against Santa Ana. During her tenure in Long Beach, Leilua propelled the Vikings to a .333 team batting average which featured two players with the 2nd and 3rd-best batting average in the South Coast Conference.

Leilua entered the coaching world immediately after graduating from Mississippi State in 2021, where she spent three seasons with the Bulldogs. In her final post in Starkville, Leilua led the team in batting average (.343), RBI (48) and home runs (20) in which she is the only Bulldog in school history with multiple 20-home run seasons. 
 
A primary infielder for MSU, she amassed a .352 career batting average with 51 home runs – 2nd in program lore. The three-year starter was a 2019 All-SEC First Team member and three-time NFCA All-South Region selection.
 
Preceding to her time in the SEC, Leilua began her collegiate career at Arizona State in 2016. Over three years in Tempe, she turned in a breakout freshman campaign, earning Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors as she led the Sun Devils with a .368 average at the plate. Leilua was one of the top hitters in the Pac-12, ranking 9th in the conference in slugging percentage and 5th in on-base percentage.
 
In 2017, the standout outfielder earned NFCA All-West Region honors as she was the lone Sun Devil to appear in 40 or more games without committing a single error. The California native ended her time at ASU in 2018 after receiving a medical redshirt.
 
Leilua holds a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies (2020) and a Master of Arts in workforce education leadership (2021) from Mississippi State.

FOLLOW THE MAVS
For the latest news on UTA Softball, log on to UTAMavs.com or stay connected to the Mavs on social media. Follow the Mavericks on Twitter @UTAMavsSB, on Instagram @UTAMavsSB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/UTAMavsSB.