SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – As the UC Santa Barbara Men's Tennis team gears up for its season-opening home match against FAU, the Gauchos enter the year focused on setting the tone for the season ahead.

LAST SEASON
The Gauchos finished the 2024-25 season with an impressive 18-5 overall record and an undefeated 6-0 run in Big West play, ranking as No. 38 in the final 2024-2025 season ITA team rankings. Their dominant conference run culminated in a win over UC San Diego to advance to the Big West Championships, ultimately falling narrowly to UC Irvine 4-3. The Blue and Gold enter the upcoming season focused on finishing the job and capturing the conference title.

Senior Diogo Morais emerged as one of UCSB's top performers last season, finishing ranked No. 122 in the final ITA singles standings after achieving an outstanding 17-1 record. Morais was also incredibly effective in doubles, teaming up with returning senior Lucca Liu to win 10 matches while dropping just four, establishing the duo as a consistent threat.

Another key contributor to watch this season is senior Dominique Rolland, who closed the year ranked No. 62 in the ITA doubles rankings. Rolland has carried that momentum into the preseason, showcasing his competitive performance by reaching the semifinals and earning a wildcard entry at the Battle in the Bay Classic before advancing to the quarterfinals of the ATP Fairfield Challenger. Rolland also closed 2025 ranked No. 32 in ITA singles, and his early success points to a strong campaign ahead for the Gauchos.

WHAT'S NEW
Transfer Miguel Avendano, who arrived from the University of Louisville, has already shown his potential after capturing both the Singles Invitational title and the Doubles Championship alongside Conrad Brown at the Big West Fall Invite. Carson Lee, who spent his first two seasons at UC San Diego, brings proven conference success after earning All-Big West First Team honors in singles and All-Big West Second Team recognition in doubles as a sophomore, posting an 11-7 record at the No. 1 singles position. Lee now looks to carry that momentum into his time with the Gauchos.

Freshmen Lorenzo Brunkow and Karel Fromel enter the season poised to contribute as they adjust to competing at the collegiate level. Sophomore Mario Garcia also looks to build on his development and showcase his talent this season.

ABOUT FLORIDA ATLANTIC
The Owls concluded the 2024-25 season ranked No. 58 nationally after a strong showing in the American Athletic Conference Tournament. Entering the postseason as the No. 3 seed, the Owls advanced to the semifinal round before falling 4-2 to tournament host and No. 50 Memphis. Their season campaign included a seven-match winning streak, highlighting the team's consistency throughout the season. Junior Simon Myslivec emerged as an impactful player, posting an impressive 11-4 singles record to close out the season.

FAU adds new depth to its lineup this season with the arrivals of Lucca Accioly and Vanja Hodzic. The Owls have also shown early promise in the preseason, as the doubles team of Mark Havlicek and Marek Pazdera reached the finals of the Fall Regional Championships, signaling continued strength heading into the year.