Big West Tennis Release No. 13
UC Davis is one win away from clinching at least a share of the program's first women's tennis regular season title.
BIG WEST AT A GLANCE
UC Davis Closes In On First Big West Title
UC Davis knocked off previous conference unbeaten Cal State Fullerton and upended UC Irvine last week, improving to 6-1 in Big West play and inching closer to the program’s first women’s tennis regular season championship.
Since UC Davis joined the Big West in 2008, the program’s best finish was a tie for second in 2012. The 2011 team finished third. Both of those clubs won six Big West contests. Currently 6-1 in Big West play, this year’s Aggie roster is positioned to set program records for Big West wins.
For head coach Bill Maze and his crew, the more important achievement in sight is that elusive title. The Aggies can clinch no worse than a share of the title with a win at Long Beach State on April 15. That will not be an easy task against a Beach program which has won three of the last four regular season crowns and nine total since the Big West began round-robin scheduling in 2006.
The only two schools in view of UC Davis and capable of matching the seven-win plateau – and a potential co-championship – are Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara. Both schools are currently 3-1 in league play. Only one of the two can reach seven Big West victories. The Gauchos play at Cal State Fullerton on April 15, the same day as the UC Davis-LBSU showdown.
Men’s Conference Action Revs Up
The next three weeks will involve a flurry of Big West men’s tennis action as a clear leader for the regular season crown hopes to emerge.
Cal Poly is off to a 2-0 start in Big West play after defeating UC Irvine and UC Riverside on the road last week. The Mustangs are the only school among six to have played two league matches. The program is seeking its first regular season title since 2013. Cal Poly’s lone contest this week is a home date on Sunday with Hawai‘i, which is 1-0 in league play.
UC Santa Barbara won’t go quietly in its quest to win a third straight championship. The Gauchos have posted unblemished 5-0 league records in each of the last two seasons, and have defeated 11 straight Big West opponents in the regular season since 2015. In fact, UCSB has not lost a regular season conference match since April 11, 2015 against UC Davis. The Gauchos host Hawai‘i and UC Irvine this week in hopes of extending those streaks.
Indian Wells Hosts Big West Tournament For 15th Straight Year
Indian Wells Tennis Garden is hosting the Big West Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championship for the 15th consecutive year. One of the premier facilities in the United States, also a host of the BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells will host all six men’s and nine women’s teams from April 26-29.