Tucson, Ariz – In a battle that came down to the final match, the UC Santa Barbara Women's Tennis team fought valiantly but fell just short in a 4-3 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center.

THE MATCH
Final: UC Santa Barbara 3, Texas Tech 4
Records: UC Santa Barbara (2-5), Texas Tech (6-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Texas Tech took the early lead in doubles, securing the point with wins on courts two and three. The No. 83-ranked duo of Andreea Lila and Jermine Sherif set the tone for the Red Raiders with a commanding 6-1 victory over UCSB's Raphaelle Leroux and Lucy Lu at No. 3. On court two, Kate Dmitrichenko and Hailey Murphy clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 win over Ali Benedetto and Emma Tutoveanu. The top doubles match between UCSB's No. 17-ranked pair of Amelia Honer and Anna Weissheim and Texas Tech's No. 6-ranked tandem of Mariia Hlahola and Avelina Sayfetdinova was left unfinished with the Gauchos trailing 5-4.

UCSB responded strongly in singles, taking the first two completed matches. No. 74 Anna Weissheim dominated No. 95 Mariia Hlahola 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2, evening the overall score at 1-1. No. 14-ranked Amelia Honer followed with a statement 6-4, 6-0 victory over Avelina Sayfetdinova at No. 1, giving UCSB a 2-1 advantage.

Texas Tech countered with wins at No. 3 and No. 4. Kate Dmitrichenko edged Tyra Richardson 6-4, 7-5 to tie the match at 2-2, and Andreea Lila followed with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 victory over Ali Benedetto, putting the Red Raiders back on top.

Raphaelle Leroux kept the Gauchos alive with a gritty 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 win over Arina Oreshchenkova at No. 6, leveling the match once again. The decisive point came down to court five, where No. 118 Hailey Murphy outlasted Emma Tutoveanu in a marathon battle, winning 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 to clinch the 4-3 victory for Texas Tech.

RESULTS
Doubles
1. #17 Amelia Honer/Anna Weissheim (UCSB) vs. #6 Mariia Hlahola/Avelina Sayfetdinova (TTU) 4-5 (unfinished)
2. Kate Dmitrichenko/Hailey Murphy (TTU) def. Ali Benedetto/Emma Tutoveanu (UCSB) 6-4
3. #83 Andreea Lila/Jermine Sherif (TTU) def. Raphaelle Leroux/Lucy Lu (UCSB) 6-1

Order of finish: 3, 2

Singles
1. #14 Amelia Honer (UCSB-W) def. Avelina Sayfetdinova (TTU) 6-4 6-0
2. #74 Anna Weissheim (UCSB-W) def. #95 Mariia Hlahola (TTU) 6-2 6-3
3. Kate Dmitrichenko (TTU) def. Tyra Richardson (UCSB-W) 6-4 7-5
4. Andreea Lila (TTU) def. Ali Benedetto (UCSB-W) 7-5 6-4
5. #118 Hailey Murphy (TTU) def. Emma Tutoveanu (UCSB-W) 7-5 6-7 6-3
6. Raphaelle Leroux (UCSB-W) def. Arina Oreshchenkova (TTU) 6-0 3-6 6-1

Order of finish: 2, 1, 3, 4, 6, 5

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will head to Northern California for a challenging road trip, facing No. 12 Stanford on Friday, Feb. 28, No. 18 Cal on Saturday, Mar. 1, and Big West opponent UC Davis on Sunday, Mar. 2. Matches are scheduled for 1:30 p.m., 12 p.m., and 11 a.m., respectively.