LAWRENCE, Kan. (Feb. 18, 2023) - The UC Santa Barbara women's tennis team played the final match and a half of their trip to Kansas on Saturday, wrapping up their match with the hosts (which began on Friday) in the morning before an afternoon meeting with Arizona. Despite being shorthanded, the Gauchos put up a valiant effort, taking the doubles point against Arizona, but fell in both matches, 4-0 to Kansas and 4-1 to the Wildcats.
THE MATCHES
Final Match 1: UC Santa Barbara 0, Kansas 4
Final Match 2: UC Santa Barbara 1, Arizona 4
Records: UC Santa Barbara 1-7 (1-0 Big West), Kansas 4-1 (0-0 Big 12), Arizona 9-3 (0-0 Pac-12)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The match against Kansas took place across two days, starting with the Jayhawks winning the doubles portion on Friday, although Amelia Honer and Kira Reuter were within a game on court one when Kansas clinched it. Saturday morning, the hosts needed only one win in singles to take the dual after UCSB lost at courts five and six by default. Honer won her first set on court one, but the Jayhawks won on court four to finish it.
The Gauchos were eager to bounce back against Arizona, winning both doubles matches to secure the first point. All eyes were on singles, and the Gauchos gave their Pac-12 opponent tough matches on all four courts. Honer again won her first set and built a 5-2 lead in the second, and Marta Gonzalez Ballbe won her first set on court four to put the Wildcats under pressure. However, UCSB was unable to overcome the deficit of missing two players, as Arizona took courts two and three to end the match.
UP NEXT
The Gauchos return home next weekend, but will not get a break from Power Five opponents, as they host Mississippi State at the Arnhold Tennis Center on Friday, February 24, and Oregon on Sunday, February 26. Friday's match will begin at 1 p.m. and Sunday's will begin at 11 a.m. Both matches will be live streamed through ucsbgauchos.com
RESULTS
Doubles (v. Kansas)
1. #13 Honer/Reuter (UCSB) vs. Ngounoue/Janse Van Vuuren (KU) 4-5, unfinished
2. Manu/Massey (KU) def. Gonzalez-Ballbe/ Khrebtova (UCSB) 6-2
3. Velasquez/Costache (KU) def. No player/No player (UCSB) by default
Order of finish: 3, 2
Singles (v. Kansas)
1. #43 Amelia Honer(UCSB) vs. #46 Malkia Ngounoue (KU) 6-4, 1-2, unfinished
2. Kira Reuter (UCSB) vs. Carmen Roxana Manu (KU) 5-7, 0-1, unfinished
3. Valentina Khrebtova (UCSB) vs. Tamari Gagoshidze (KU) 5-7, 0-0, unfinished
4. Silvia M Costache (KU) def. Marta Gonzalez Ballbe (UCSB) 6-1, 6-0
5. No player (KU) def. No player (UCSB), by default
6. No player (KU) def. No player (UCSB), by default
Order of finish: 5, 6, 4
Doubles (v. Arizona)
1. #13 Honer/Reuter (UCSB) def. Ziouti/Fry (ARIZ) 6-1
2. Gonzalez-Ballbe/Khrebtova (UCSB) def. Wilkins/ Carter (ARIZ) 6-4
3. No player/No player (UCSB) def. No player/No player (ARIZ), by default
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2
Singles (v. Arizona)
1. #43 Amelia Honer (UCSB) vs. Midori Castillo-Meza (ARIZ) 6-4, 5-2, unfinished
2. Salma Ziouti (ARIZ) def. Kira Reuter (UCSB) 6-3, 7-5
3. Reece Carter (ARIZ) def. Valentina Khrebtova (UCSB) 6-3, 6-4
4. Marta Gonzalez Ballbe (UCSB) vs. Kayla Wilkins (ARIZ) 6-3, 0-6, 1-2, unfinished
5. No player (ARIZ) def. No player (UCSB), by default
6. No player (ARIZ) def. No player (UCSB), by default
Order of finish: 6, 5, 2, 3
