WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

Top-seeded UC Santa Barbara won its third title in five years – and ninth overall – defeating No. 3 seed Cal Poly 4-0 in the finals of the Big West Women’s Tennis Championship at Orange County Great Park Saturday.

The Gauchos earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship in improving to 13-3 overall while winning their 12th consecutive match.

BOX SCORE

NOTES

• The nine Big West titles rank second all-time in league history.

• UCSB did not surrender a single point in its three tournament wins over UC Riverside, Hawai‘i and Cal Poly. The Gauchos are the first to accomplish that feat since Long Beach State in 2008.

• UCSB junior Shakhnoza Khatamova claimed her 12th straight singles win as she upended Melissa LaMette, 6-3, 6-3.

• Freshman Kira Reuter clinched the match for UCSB with her 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 5 singles over Mustang counterpart Emily Ackerman.

• UCSB has won 12 consecutive matches against Big West opponents, counting regular season and tournament contests.

• The Gauchos have claimed the doubles point in each of their last five matches.