• UC Santa Barbara senior Victor Krustev notched his fourth career Big West Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week award – and second this season – after defeating a nationally ranked opponent in singles.

• Competing with only five players due to COVID protocols, UC Santa Barbara’s 35-match win streak against Big West opponents ended in a 5-2 loss to UC Irvine on Sunday. However, Krustev swept his singles matches this week while playing at No. 1 in the lineup for the first time this season.

• Krustev knocked off UCI’s No. 67-ranked Bjorn Hoffmann in a three-set marathon, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-2.

• He also helped the Gauchos defeat UC San Diego, 5-2, winning his match in commanding fashion against Daniel Traxler. Set scores were 6-1, 6-3.

• Krustev’s singles record improved to 7-2 on the year. He has won five straight contests.

OTHERS NOMINATED: Gary Vardanyan (Cal Poly); Andrei Volgin (UC Davis); Mateusz Smolicki (UC Irvine)