SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The No. 1-seeded UC Santa Barbara Women's Tennis team punched its ticket to the Big West Championship final with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over No. 4 Long Beach State Friday afternoon at the Barnes Tennis Center.

THE MATCH
Final: #50 UC Santa Barbara 4, Long Beach State 3
Records: #50 UC Santa Barbara (16-8, 9-0 Big West), Long Beach State (14-11, 5-4 Big West)

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos came up just short in doubles, as Long Beach State claimed the opening point with wins on courts three and one. After Lily Pradkin and Shanelle Iaconi earned a 6-4 victory at the No. 2 position, the point ultimately came down to court one, where Ekua Youri and Caroline Beard battled into a tiebreak before falling 7-6 (7-3), giving the Beach a 1-0 lead.

UC Santa Barbara responded with composure and depth across the lineup. Shanelle Iaconi evened the match at 1-1 with a decisive 7-5, 6-0 win on court six, finishing first and shifting momentum.

After Long Beach State regained a 2-1 lead with a win on court five, the Gauchos surged ahead behind back-to-back straight-set victories. Lily Pradkin controlled her match at No. 4, 6-1, 6-3, before Ekua Youri delivered a strong performance at the top spot, winning 7-5, 6-4 to give UC Santa Barbara a 3-2 advantage.

The Beach forced a 3-3 tie with a three-set win on court three, setting up a decisive battle at No. 2. Isabella Wong rose to the moment, rallying after dropping the first set and fighting tooth and nail in the third to secure a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) victory, clinching the semifinal for the Gauchos.

RESULTS
Doubles
1. Cecilia Costa/Paulina Franco (LBSU) def. Ekua Youri/Caroline Beard (UCSB) 7-6 (7-3)
2. Lily Pradkin/Shanelle Iaconi (UCSB) def. Pamela Badillo/Thea Jagare (LBSU) 6-4
3. Daisy Carpenter/Diana De Simone (LBSU) def. Emma Tutoveanu/My-Anh Holmes (UCSB) 6-3

Order of finish: 2, 3, 1

Singles
1. Ekua Youri (UCSB) def. Cecilia Costa (LBSU) 7-5, 6-4
2. Isabella Wong (UCSB) def. Diana De Simone (LBSU) 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Thea Jagare (LBSU) def. Emma Tutoveanu (UCSB) 7-5, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3
4. Lily Pradkin (UCSB) def. Paulina Franco (LBSU) 6-1, 6-3
5.Pamela Badillo (LBSU) def. Raphaelle Leroux (UCSB) 6-2, 6-4
6. Shanelle Iaconi (UCSB) def. Daria Malaescu (LBSU) 7-5, 6-0

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

UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara advances to the Big West Championship final, where the Gauchos will face No. 2-seeded Cal Poly in a Blue-Green Rivalry rematch tomorrow, Apr. 25 at 10 a.m., with the conference title on the line.