Top Seed Gauchos Ready to Begin Big West Championships

The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Tennis Team is gearing up for The Big West Championships in San Diego this week, with their first match scheduled for Thursday, Apr. 25. As the No. 1 seed, the Gauchos have earned a first-round bye and will advance to the quarterfinal round.

Santa Barbara comes into the championship with an impressive 9-0 record in conference play and a 14-7 overall record. They finished the regular season on a high note with nine consecutive wins, including victories over ranked teams like Kansas, Penn State, and SMU.

Ranked No. 55 in the ITA Team rankings, the Gauchos are led by Amelia Honor, who is currently ranked No. 48 in singles. Honor recently earned her second consecutive Big West Women’s Tennis Player of the Week award and the 11th of her career. She and her doubles partner, Kira Reuter, are also ranked 41st in the ITA rankings.

If the Gauchos advance to the semifinals, they will face tough competition from teams like Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton, both of which have solid records this season.

Fans can follow the action live on Thursday, Apr. 25, with the first serve at 9 a.m. at Barnes Tennis Center. For those unable to attend, matches on courts 7-10 and 16-18 will be live-streamed via web.track.tennis, with live stats available for all matches. Stay tuned to see if the Gauchos can continue their winning streak and claim another championship title.