IRVINE, Calif. – Following the completion of the regular season, The Big West announced its all-conference selections. UC Santa Barbara Men's Tennis earned multiple honors, including a major coaching accolade and several standout student-athletes recognized across singles and doubles play. 

ALL-BIG WEST RECOGNITION
Head Coach Blake Muller was named Big West Coach of the Year after guiding the Gauchos through a competitive season. Under his leadership, UC Santa Barbara proved to be one of the top programs on the West Coast. 

Under his tutelage, Muller guided the Gauchos to their fifth consecutive Regular Season Big West Championship and for the second time in the last four seasons claimed the tournament championship. During the 2026 season, the Gauchos defeated five nationally ranked opponents including a top ten win over UCLA to advance to the ITA National Indoor Championships.

For their standout performances in singles play, Lucca Liu and Dominique Rolland received All-Big West First Team singles honors. The Gauchos were also represented on the All-Big West Second Team by Miguel Avendano and Diogo Morais. 

In doubles, Liu was placed on the All-Big West First Team with Avendano. UC Santa Barabra earned further doubles recognition with two pairs receiving Honorable Mention honors. Conrad Brown and Dominique Rolland's performance as a duo was highlighted, alongside Lorenzo Brunkow and Diogo Morais. 

LOOKING AHEAD
After capturing the Big West Championship, No. 35 UC Santa Barbara Men's Tennis turns its focus to the NCAA Tournament, where the Gauchos will face No. 17 San Diego in the first round of a regional hosted by the Toreros. The matchup marks a rematch from earlier this season, when San Diego came away with a close 4-2 win in Santa Barbara, giving UC Santa Barbara an opportunity to respond on the national stage.

San Diego enters postseason play riding strong form, having claimed both the WCC regular season and tournament titles for the third consecutive year. The Toreros have now won nine of the last ten conference tournaments and collected nine all-conference honors this season. Manvydas Balciunas was named WCC Freshman of the Year and is ranked No. 94 nationally, while Oliver Tarvet earned WCC Player of the Year honors and holds a No. 19 ranking.

The Toreros have been dominant at home with a 12-3 record, and hosting duties provide a clear edge in the regional setting. Also in the bracket are No. 20 UCLA, another familiar foe, and No. 31 Arizona State, with the winner between UC Santa Barbara and San Diego advancing to face the victor of that matchup.