SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2023) — A third of the way through their 2023 schedule, the UC Santa Barbara men's tennis team still has not lost a dual match. The 8-0 Gauchos will attempt to run their unbeaten streak up to 10 matches this weekend, hosting Boise State on Friday before facing Pepperdine on the road Sunday.
DETAILS
Match 9
Friday, February 17 | 1 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara (8-0, 0-0 Big West) vs. Boise State (3-1, 0-0 Mountain West)
Arnhold Tennis Center | Santa Barbara, Calif.
Live Stream
Match 10
Sunday, February 19 | 2 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara (8-0, 0-0 Big West) at Pepperdine (1-5, 0-0 West Coast)
Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center | Malibu, Calif.
Live Stream & Stats
HISTORY
While they hold a losing record in the all-time series against Boise State, UCSB has momentum in not only this season, but also the recent series on their side against the Broncos. The Gauchos have won their last two duals against Friday's opposition, most recently a 6-1 victory in Santa Barbara in 2018.
The all-time series against Pepperdine is a different story, and UCSB will surely be looking for a measure of revenge after the Waves knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament in 2021, their most recent meeting. The Gauchos have only four wins from 41 duals against Pepperdine, but three of those wins did come at Sunday's venue in Malibu.
LAST TIME OUT
UCSB continued their unbeaten run in thrilling fashion last weekend, coming from behind to defeat Loyola Marymount, 4-3, at the Arnhold Tennis Center last Friday. Gianluca Brunkow and Luka Mrsic each earned key, three-set singles wins to help the Gauchos secure victory. For a complete recap, click here.
ABOUT THE GAUCHOS
Roster | Schedule
Overall Record: 8-0
Big West: 0-0
Home: 3-0
Away: 2-0
Neutral: 3-0
Against Ranked Opponents: 0-0
ITA Ranking: N/A
Streak: W8
ABOUT THE BRONCOS
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall Record: 3-1
Mountain West: 0-0
Home: 3-0
Away: 0-1
Neutral: 0-0
Against Ranked Opponents: 0-0
ITA Ranking: N/A
Streak: W1
ABOUT THE WAVES
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall Record: 1-5
West Coast: 0-0
Home: 0-0
Away: 0-4
Neutral: 1-1
Against Ranked Opponents: 0-2
ITA Ranking: Receiving Votes
Streak: L3
UP NEXT
The Gauchos are back home next weekend, hosting the Oregon Ducks on Friday, February 24. First serve from the Arnhold Tennis Center is set for 11 a.m., with a live stream available through ucsbgauchos.com.
RANKING UP
UC Santa Barbara is home to some of the most talented collegiate tennis players in the nation, with Pablo Masjuan, Phillip Jordan, and Kai Brady all earning spots in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's national player rankings. Masjuan is ranked 81st among all Division-I singles players, while Jordan and Brady are 28th among all D-I doubles partnerships.
JORDAN NAMED BIG WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK (FEB. 8)
Senior Phillip Jordan earned his fourth career Big West Player of the Week award following strong performances against New Orleans and UTSA. The redshirt junior went 2-0 at the top singles position against the Privateers and Roadrunners to help UCSB extend their unbeaten run to seven dual matches. To read more, click here.
GETTING BACK TO THE MOUNTAINTOP
After a bitter end to the 2022 season, the Gauchos will look to win one match more in 2023 and reclaim The Big West Championship crown. UCSB went 17-6 in 2022, winning all 10 of their home matches, but their season ended in defeat to UC Irvine in the final match of The Big West Championship. The Gauchos had won a record six consecutive Big West Championships, from 2015-2021, and will look to return to the mountaintop in 2023 with their seventh conference title in eight seasons.
FALL RECAP
A number of Gauchos took part in October tournaments, making multiple deep runs in both doubles and singles. Pablo Masjuan finished second overall in singles at the UCSB Classic, where Gianluca Brunkow and Alexander Watanabe Eriksson took third in the doubles bracket. There was more doubles success to be had at the ITA Southwest Championships, with Phillip Jordan and Kai Brady reaching the semifinals. Masjuan was back on the podium at the UTSA SoCal Intercollegiate Championships, taking home the silver in singles and with Luka Mrsic in doubles. Masjuan came in at #77 in the ITA singles rankings in November.
MULLER READY FOR YEAR TWO AT THE HELM
The 2023 season is Blake Muller's second as head coach at UC Santa Barbara and his ninth total with the program. The Santa Barbara native spent seven years as an assistant coach under Marty Davis, and was named head coach in August 2021, following Davis's retirement. In 2019, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association named Muller the Southwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
