SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Tennis team has a busy week ahead at home, hosting a top-25 opponent, a conference foe, and its first Super Six match to close out the stretch. The Gauchos will take on No. 22 Stanford on Feb. 14, UC Riverside on Feb. 18, and TCU on Feb. 21.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos improve to 4-3 on the season following a packed weekend of competition, while
Shachf Liebermann's standout performance earned her Big West Player of the Week honors.
Arizona secured the doubles point and carried that momentum into singles play to earn a 4-1 victory over UC Santa Barbara. The Wildcats claimed three singles courts to seal the match, while
Shachf Liebermann delivered the Gauchos' lone point with a dominant straight-set win at No. 4. Two singles contests remained unfinished as Arizona completed the decision.
No. 22 Texas Tech swept the doubles point and extended its lead early in singles before UC Santa Barbara mounted an impressive comeback. The Gauchos captured four singles victories, highlighted by three-set wins from Liebermann,
Emma Tutoveanu, and
Shanelle Iaconi to shift the momentum. Iaconi ultimately clinched the 4-3 ranked victory at No. 6 singles to secure the win for UC Santa Barbara.
ABOUT THE CARDINAL
After opening the dual season with two straight wins, Stanford fell to three ranked opponents, No. 6 Oklahoma by a 4-1 score, No. 20 USC in a 4-3 battle, and No. 17 UCLA 7-0, before bouncing back with a narrow 4-3 victory over Sacramento State. The Cardinal is in its second year under head coach Frankie Brennan, coming off a 17-9 campaign that marked the program's 43rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 42nd trip to the Round of 16.
Stanford's lineup is highlighted by No. 5 Valerie Glozman, No. 17 Alyssa Ahn, No. 44 Monika Ekstrand, and No. 113 Caroline Driscoll. Ahn currently stands as the highest-ranked freshman in the nation, adding to an already experienced and nationally competitive roster.
ABOUT THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside enters Valentine's Weekend with a 1-5 overall record and a 0-2 mark in Big West play following 5-2 losses to Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State. The Highlanders most recently fell in a narrow 4-3 decision to Azusa Pacific and will face Seattle and Oregon before meeting the Blue and Gold.
Katarina Curcic transfers in from South Dakota with international junior experience, including top rankings in Serbia and the UAE, while freshman Juliana Galindo arrives after winning the 2024 LA City Section individual title, and Kaia Paulo adds collegiate experience from Concordia University Irvine and CBU. Mattias Johansson, who was named head coach in November 2015, enters his 11th season leading the program in 2025-26.
ABOUT THE HORNED FROGS
The TCU Horned Frogs enter the week on a three-match winning streak as they prepare to face Tulsa in Oklahoma before traveling to Santa Barbara for the Gauchos' first Super Six match on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 10:30 a.m., which will feature fan festivities including a T-shirt giveaway along with food and drink options. TCU most recently swept in-state foe North Texas with a commanding 4-0 victory, continuing its strong early-season form.
Senior Yu-Chin Tsai, sophomore Cristi Ramos Sierra, and senior Letizia Corsini remain undefeated in singles competition this season, anchoring the lineup with consistent performances. The Frogs also feature the nationally ranked doubles team of No. 74 Cristina Ramos Sierra and Raquel Caballero Chica, adding further depth and experience to the team.
