SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The No. 36 UC Santa Barbara Women's Tennis team battled back to even the match after dropping the doubles point but ultimately fell just short in a 4-3 loss to Washington State on Saturday afternoon.

THE MATCH
Final: #36 UC Santa Barbara 3, Washington State 4
Records: #36 UC Santa Barbara (5-6), Washington State (7-4)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Washington State claimed the early advantage by securing the doubles point with wins on courts one and two. Chisato Kanemaki and Maxine Murphy opened doubles play with a 6-4 victory over Ekua Youri and Shachf Liebermann at the top position before Eva Alvarez Sande and Ava-Monet Sycamore clinched the point with a narrow 7-5 win against Emma Tutoveanu and Shanelle Iaconi on court two. The No. 3 doubles match featuring My-Anh Holmes and Raphaelle Leroux remained unfinished at 6-5.

UC Santa Barbara responded with resilience in singles competition, earning three impressive victories across the lineup. Tutoveanu put the Gauchos on the board first with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 win over Martina Puvill at No. 3 singles. Lily Pradkin followed shortly after, delivering a composed 6-3, 6-2 victory against Sycamore on court six to even the overall momentum.

Washington State regained control with straight-set wins at Nos. 2 and 1 singles, as Murphy defeated Liebermann 6-1, 6-3 and Sande earned a 6-1, 7-5 win over Youri to move the Cougars within one point of clinching the match.

The Gauchos continued to fight, with Holmes earning a gritty 7-6(4), 6-2 victory over Kanemaki at No. 5 singles to level the score at 3-3. The match ultimately came down to court four, where Yura Nakagawa outlasted Leroux in a three-set battle, 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, securing the 4-3 decision for Washington State.

RESULTS
Doubles
1. Chisato Kanemaki/Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Ekua Youri.Shachf Liebermann (UCSB), 6-4
2. Eva Alvarez Sande/Ava-Monet Sycamore (WSU) def. Emma Tutoveanu/Shanelle Iaconi (UCSB), 7-5
3. Yura Nakagawa/Zali Morris (WSU) vs. My-Anh Holmes/Raphaelle Leroux (UCSB), 6-5, unfinished

Order of finish: 1, 2

Singles
1. Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. Ekua Youri (UCSB), 6-1, 7-5
2. Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Shachf Liebermann (UCSB), 6-1, 6-3
3. Emma Tutoveanu (UCSB) def. Martina Puvill (WSU), 6-3, 6-2
4. Yura Nakagawa (WSU) def. Raphaelle Leroux (UCSB), 7-5, 1-6, 6-3
5. My-Anh Holmes (UCSB) def. Chisato Kanemaki (WSU), 7-6(4), 6-2
6. Lily Pradkin (UCSB) def. Ava-Monet Sycamore (WSU), 6-3, 6-2

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