SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- No. 1 seed UC Santa Barbara outlasted No. 2 seed Cal Poly 4-3 to win the 2026 Big West Women's Tennis Championship final, Saturday at the Barnes Tennis Center. The doubles point proved decisive for the Gauchos, securing victories in the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles matches, while the Mustangs triumphed on the No. 2 court. In singles, UC Santa Barbara clinched crucial wins in the No. 1, No. 3, and No. 6 positions to seal the narrow victory. 

It is the Gauchos’ 12th overall title, fourth in last six seasons and six in the last 10. UC Santa Barbara (earns The Big West’s automatic qualifier into the 2026 NCAA Championship. The Gauchos’ opponent will be announced with the NCAA Women's Tennis Selection Show on Monday, April 27 at 1:30 p.m. PT.

The match began with the doubles competition, where the Gauchos secured two of the three matches. In match No. 3, Emma Tutoveanu and My-Anh Holmes (UCSB) claimed victory over Kennedy Buntrock and Tia Bonita Jakupovic-Klajko (CP) with a score of 6-1. Cal Poly earned its sole doubles win in match No. 2, with Jessica MacCallum and Sarah MacCallum (CP) overcoming Lily Pradkin and Shanelle Iaconi (UCSB) 6-3. In match No. 1, Ekua Youri and Caroline Beard (UCSB) defeated Natalie Lynch and Candela Aparisi (CP) with a score of 6-4 to clinch the doubles point. 

The singles matches' order of finish went by descending order of court number. UC Santa Barbara's Youri defeated Buntrock in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, at the top of the lineup to give UCSB a 2-0 edge. Jessica MacCallum (CP) won against Isabella Wong (UCSB) with scores of 6-4, 6-1 in match No. 2. Tutoveanu triumphed over Aparisi kn a three-set battle, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, in match No. 3 to give the Gauchos back a two-point edge in the dual.

Cal Poly took the next two courts as Alexandra Ozerets (CP) edged out Pradkin in a tight No. 4 contest, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1), and Lynch added a victory in match No. 5, defeating Holmes 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. In the decisive No. 6 match, Raphaelle Leroux (UCSB) secured a come from behind performance to defeat Sarah MacCallum (CP) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.