IRVINE, Calif. – The top-seeded UC Santa Barbara women's tennis team defeated eight-seed UC Riverside 4-0 on Thursday in the first round of the Big West Tournament. The win punches the Gauchos' (11-3, 9-0) ticket to the semifinals and extends their win streak to 10 matches, the longest since another 10-match run in 2016.
Reigning Big West Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week Camille Kiss led the Gauchos Thursday, beating Riverside's Mahli Silpachai 6-0, 6-2 in the No. 2 singles matchup after sweeping her doubles matchup 6-0 along with partner Marta Gonzalez-Ballbe.
Shakhnoza Khatamova and Kira Reuter also defeated their doubles opponents, winning 6-1 to clinch the doubles point for Santa Barbara.
In singles, Gonzalez-Ballbe easily took down UCR's Serina Saltzen 6-0, and Khatamova didn't have any trouble defeating Natalie Shamma, prevailing 6-2, 6-2 and earning the decisive fourth point.
The Gauchos now advance to the semifinal round where they will face fifth-seeded Hawaii, who beat four-seed UC Davis 4-1 on Thursday. The match is schedule for Friday at 9:00 a.m. at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine.
Tennis Match Results
UC Santa Barbara vs. UC Riverside
April 29, 2021 at Irvine, Calif.
Irvine Great Park
UC Santa Barbara 4, UC Riverside 0
Singles Competition
- Tia Elpusan (UCR) vs. Elizaveta Volodko (UCSB) 6-4, 2-3, unfinished
- Camille Kiss (UCSB) def. Mahli Silpachai (UCR) 6-0, 6-2
- Shakhnoza Khatamova (UCSB) def. Natalie Shamma (UCR) 6-2, 6-2
- Lise Sentenac (UCSB) vs. Hanh Pham (UCR) 6-1, 4-3, unfinished
- Kira Reuter (UCSB) vs. Sofia Lazzaroni (UCR) 6-2, 4-1 unfinished
- Marta Gonzalez-Ballbe (UCSB) def. Serina Saltzen (UCR) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles Competition
- Sentenac/Volodko (UCSB) vs. Elpusan/Pham (UCR) 4-1, unfinished
- Reuter/Khatamova (UCSB) def. Silpachai/Shamma (UCR) 6-1
- Kiss/Gonzalez-Ballbe (UCSB) def. Saltzen/Tran (UCR) 6-0
Match Notes
UC Santa Barbara 11-3, UC Riverside 0-10
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,6,3)
