Cal Poly Falls to No. 48 UCSB on Senior Day, Earns No. 2 Seed in Big West Championships

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — In a battle for the Big West regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, the Cal Poly women’s tennis team fell short to No. 48 UC Santa Barbara 4-0 Saturday at the Ronca Tennis Center.

With the defeat, the Mustangs finished the regular season with a 12-9 overall record and a 7-2 record in Big West play, and earned the No. 2 seed in the Big West Championships. They will wait to learn who they will face in the Big West Championship semifinals at 1 p.m. Friday at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego.

Cal Poly’s fight for a share of the Big West regular season championship Saturday began with a hard-fought battle for the doubles point. After falling at No. 2, sisters Sarah MacCallum and Jessica MacCallum were able to keep the Mustangs in it with a 6-2 victory at No. 3, improving to 2-0 as a pairing this season.

It all came down to court No. 1 for the doubles point and unfortunately juniors Candela Aparisi and Natalie Lynch came up just short in a tiebreak, 6-7 (3-7).

In singles, the Gauchos (15-8, 9-0 BW) used straight-set victories at No. 3 and No. 6 to take a 3-0 lead, putting them on the brink of clinching the dual.

Senior Kennedy Buntrock (No. 1), sophomore Jessica MacCallum (No. 2) and Lynch (No. 6) were all locked in three-set battles when senior Alexandra Ozerets fought off three straight match points to force a second-set tiebreak at No. 4 after dropping the first set. Ozerets gave it her all in her final home match, but fell short in the tiebreaker 3-7, allowing UCSB to earn the 4-0 victory.

Following the dual, the Mustangs honored their three seniors — Kennedy Buntrock, Sarah MacCallum and Alexandra Ozerets.

The Mustangs will face either the No. 4, 5, 8 or 9 seed in the Big West Championship semifinals on Friday depending upon how the first round and quarterfinal matches at the tournament play out on Wednesday and Thursday at the Barnes Tennis Center.

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