IRVINE, Calif. – The top-seeded UC Santa Barbara women's tennis team beat Hawai'i 4-0 in the Big West Tournament semifinal and will advance to play rival third-seeded Cal Poly in the championship match. The win marks the Gauchos' (12-3, 10-0) 11th straight, the longest streak over the last 25 years. Santa Barbara has shut out their opponents in five of their last seven matches, and they haven't yet conceded a point in the Big West Tournament.
In doubles, Elizaveta Volodko and Lise Sentenac took care of business, winning 6-1, and Camille Kiss and Marta Gonzalez-Ballbe took down their opponents 6-2 to secure the doubles point for the Gauchos.
Shakhnoza Khatamova defeated Hawaii's Satsuki Takamura 6-4, 6-1 and Kira Reuter was victorious over Lea Romain 6-3, 6-3, making it a 3-0 match. Then, Volodko scraped out a 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5) win over Petra Melounova to clinch the winning point.
The Gauchos head to the championship seeking their ninth Big West Championship in program history and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.
The championship match against Cal Poly is scheduled for Saturday at 9:00 a.m. at Orange Country Great Park in Irvine.
Tennis Match Results
UC Santa Barbara vs. Hawai'i
April 30, 2021 at Irvine, Calif.
Irvine Great Park
UC Santa Barbara 4, UC Riverside 0
Singles Competition
- Elizaveta Volodko (UCSB) def. Petra Melounova (UH) 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5)
- Camille Kiss (UCSB) vs. Nikola Dolokova (UH) 2-6, 6-4, 4-4, unfinished
- Shakhnoza Khatamova (UCSB) def. Satsuki Takamura (UH) 6-4, 6-1
- Lise Sentenac (UCSB) vs. Bojana Markovic (UH) 3-6, 6-4, 1-2, unfinished
- Kira Reuter (UCSB) def. Lea Romain (UH) 6-3, 6-3
- Marta Gonzalez-Ballbe (UCSB) vs. Alexis Merrill (UH) 5-7, 5-4, unfinished
Doubles Competition
- Sentenac/Volodko (UCSB) def. Melounova/Markovic (UH) 6-1
- Reuter/Khatamova (UCSB) vs. Dolakova/Takamura (UH) 4-3, unfinished
- Kiss/Gonzalez-Ballbe (UCSB) def. Merrill/Romain (UH) 6-2
Match Notes
UC Santa Barbara 12-3, Hawai'i 7-8
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (3,5,1)
