Women’s tennis ended their season against Pepperdine. Courtesy of UCSB Athletics

Despite the loss, the Gauchos, with a 17- 9 overall record, have celebrated big wins this season, including the Big West tournament and regular-season championship in April. 

More recently, the Big West annual all-conference honors awards highlighted the women’s tennis team’s success. Notably, Head Coach Simon Thibodeau received the Big West Coach of the Year award. Thibodeau has now led the Gauchos to six Big West Championships. 

Gaining awards across the board, junior Ekua Youri was named Big West Player of the Year after dominating at the top of the Gaucho lineup all season. 

Further acknowledgements were given to junior Shachf Libermann and sophomore Emma Tutoveanu, who received singles All-Big West Second Team honors. Honorable Mentions were given to freshman Isabella Wong and doubles players freshman My-Anh Holmes and Tutoveanu. 

After an accomplished season for the Gauchos, they headed into Friday’s NCAA tournament as Big West Champions for the second straight season. They were paired against the regional hosts, Pepperdine. 

Undefeated in the Big West conference this season and 17-9 overall, the Gauchos entered the championships with a nine-match win streak after an exhilarating 4-3 win over California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in April.

The Gauchos have reached the NCAA championships for the third time in the last five years. Last year, they triumphed over No. 39 Rice University in the first round but fell short to No. 2 Texas A&M University. 

The doubles point opened with the point secured by the Waves. Sophomore Lily Pradkin and graduate student Shanelle Iaconi finished first, losing the match 1-6. Holmes and Tutoveanu followed, dropping the set at 4-6. The top court was left unfinished, with the point decided. 

Singles play began with a loss on courts four and six. Pradkin was defeated 3-6, 1-6, and Iaconi 1-6, 5-7. 

Down 0-3, the victory was decided on court three, where Tutoveanu lost the match, 3-6, 6-7 (5-7). 

With the win finalized, the remaining matches ended unfinished. Notably, Wong prevailed in a tiebreaker set 7-6, (7-5). Youri dominated the second set of her match 7-5, and sophomore Raphaelle Leroux came back from a deficit and was battling in a second-set tiebreaker when the defeat was decided.  

Despite ending their season on a loss, the Gauchos went undefeated, 9-0 in the Big West, demonstrating widespread domination all season long.