The UCSB women’s tennis team finished its regular season on Tuesday in a tough 6-1 loss against No. 7 Cal.

The loss puts the Gauchos’ final regular season record at 14-8 overall and 5-3 in Big West Conference play.

It was not necessarily a great result for the Gauchos, but the Golden Bears were the highest ranked team they played all season and the match should prepare them well for the upcoming Big West Tournament.

Cal got off to an early lead by sweeping the Gauchos 3-0 in doubles play to secure the important doubles point. The Gauchos have struggled in doubles play all season long and it will surely be an area that they wish to improve going into the postseason.

UCSB did not fare much better in singles, as senior Erica Cano was the only Gaucho to win her match. Cano has been a stalwart contributor for the Gauchos throughout her career, and in her last home match, she did not disappoint. Cano battled deep into the third set against Alice Durandteau and ultimately won 3-6, 6-0, 10-8.

The rest of the UCSB squad struggled against the talent of Cal, as every other Gaucho player was defeated in straight sets.

Sophomore Stacy Yam lost her first set 6-3 before she withdrew from the match.

Freshman Priscilla Garcia fell to Taylor Davis 6-0, 6-2, while junior Paola Cos lost to Zsofi Susaanyi 6-3, 6-1.

UCSB’s No. 1 and No. 2 did not fare much better as sophomore April Scatliffe was beaten 6-0, 6-2 and junior Kiersten Meehan lost 6-0, 6-3.

The Gauchos finish the regular season ranked third in the Big West Conference and thus will enter the Big West Tournament as the No. 3 seed. Their first match in the tournament will be against No. 6 seed Cal State Northridge this Friday.

The Gauchos will likely be pleased with the matchup as their first meeting with the Matadors ended in a dominant 6-1 UCSB away victory earlier in the season. Every Gaucho won her singles match against Northridge and the only point the Matadors earned was in doubles play.

The match against Cal State Northridge will take place at 8 a.m. on April 26 in Indian Wells, California.

A version of this article appeared on page 9 of April 25th’s print edition of the Daily Nexus.

Photo by Magali Gauthier of the Daily Nexus.