IRVINE, Calif. – With the conclusion of the regular season, The Big West released its annual all-conference honors. UC Santa Barbara Women's Tennis was prominently featured, highlighted by the conference's top individual award, a coaching honor, and multiple selections across both singles and doubles lineups.

ALL-BIG WEST RECOGNITION
Head Coach Simon Thibodeau was named Big West Coach of the Year after guiding UC Santa Barbara through a dominant campaign, further cementing the Gauchos' standing among the conference's elite programs. Under his leadership, the Blue and Gold have captured six Big West Championships in 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2025, and 2026, with the most recent title marking back-to-back championships. During the 2026 season, the Gauchos defeated five nationally ranked opponents, including a win over No. 22 Texas Tech.

UC Santa Barbara's individual accolades were highlighted by Ekua Youri, who was named Big West Player of the Year following an impressive season at the top of the lineup. Youri also earned All-Big West First Team recognition in singles and teamed with Caroline Beard to secure First Team honors in doubles.

The Gauchos added further depth to the all-conference list, with Shachf Liebermann and Emma Tutoveanu earning All-Big West Second Team honors in singles. Isabella Wong received Honorable Mention recognition, while the doubles pair of My-Anh Holmes and Emma Tutoveanu also garnered Honorable Mention accolades, rounding out a strong showing for UC Santa Barbara across both singles and doubles competition.

LOOKING AHEAD
After securing the Big West Champions title, UC Santa Barbara Women's Tennis at No. 50 will look to carry its momentum into the NCAA Tournament against No. 11 Pepperdine. The Waves will host the Gauchos, with the Blue and Gold seeking to take down their highest ranked opponent yet to make it to the second round. 

Pepperdine put together a dominant spring campaign, capturing the WCC regular season title before extending its streak to 12 consecutive WCC Tournament championships. The Waves were also heavily recognized in the conference's postseason awards, sweeping the major honors. Ziva Falkner was named WCC Co-Player of the Year, Sonja Zhiyenbayeva earned Freshman of the Year, and head coach Tassilo Schmid was tabbed WCC Coach of the Year, as seven Waves received all-conference recognition.

Individually, Pepperdine boasts a strong presence in the national rankings. In singles, Anastasiia Grechkina sits at No. 35, Falkner at No. 40, Zhiyenbayeva at No. 48, and Duru Soke at No. 121. In doubles, the pairing of Falkner and Zhiyenbayeva is ranked No. 16 nationally, highlighting the Waves' depth across both singles and doubles lineups.

The Waves hold an 8-3 record at home, and hosting the regional could provide a significant advantage. No. 30 Stanford and No. 38 BYU are also in the bracket and will face the winner of the Gauchos and the Waves.