SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — UC San Diego men's tennis saw their first Big West Conference action away from home on Saturday, traveling to play 57th-ranked UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos emerged victorious, defeating the Tritons, 7-0.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: #57 UC Santa Barbara 7, UC San Diego 0
Records: UC San Diego 4-16 (1-3 Big West); UC Santa Barbara 12-5 (1-1 Big West)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC Santa Barbara gained an early advantage in the match, securing the doubles point without too much trouble. The Gauchos won at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles to clinch it before the action at No. 3 could wrap up.
 
In singles play, UC Santa Barbara showed why they are ranked among the top 75 teams in the country, winning on all six courts. The Tritons did what they could to grab some points, with freshman Pelayo Rodriguez and sophomore Jett Cole coming closest at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. Both lost both of their sets by the same small margin, 7-5. But by the time Rodriguez and Cole were finishing their matches, the Gauchos had already clinched victory with wins at Nos. 6, 1, and 3.

RESULTS
Doubles

1. Phillip Jordan/Victor Krustev (UCSB) def. Zach Ermert/Eric Silberman (UCSD), 6-2
2. Pablo Masjuan/Kai Brady (UCSB) def. Daniel Traxler/William Lan (UCSD), 6-3
3. Pelayo Rodriguez/Phillip Lan (UCSD) vs. Gianluca Brunkow/Alejandro Vedri (UCSB), 4-5, dnf

 Order of finish: 1, 2
 
Singles

1. Phillip Jordan (UCSB) def. Daniel Traxler (UCSD), 6-2, 6-1
2. Pablo Masjuan (UCSB) def. Phillip Lan (UCSD), 6-3, 6-2
3. Victor Krustev (UCSB) def. Zach Ermert (UCSD), 6-4, 6-0
4. Kai Brady (UCSB) def. Pelayo Rodriguez (UCSD), 7-5, 7-5
5. Alejandro Vedri (UCSB) def. Jett Cole (UCSD), 7-5, 7-5
6. Gianluca Brunkow (UCSB) def. Sanjith Devineni, 6-1, 6-1

 Order of finish: 6, 1, 3, 2, 4, 5
 
QUOTABLE
"UC Santa Barbara, in doubles play, was ready for us," Head Coach Timmer Willing said. "They came out fast and played at a much quicker pace and energy than we were accustomed to. They defended well against our plays and extended points, nullifying our advantages. Their coaching staff did a great job preparing them. In singles, they are very deep and their top three don't miss much, which applies pressure in itself. They were just better than us, and we learned what areas we need to improve."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• After only featuring in two of the Tritons' 14 matches, Sanjith Devineni has now appeared in five of the last seven
• Pelayo Rodrigez and Jett Cole are the only Tritons to have both singles sets decided by a 7-5 scoreline in the Division I era. Last year, Cody Duong '21 came close, falling 7-5, 7-6 in Riverside

 UP NEXT
UC San Diego has added a home doubleheader against Arizona State to their schedule next week. The Tritons will host the 67th-ranked Sun Devils at Northview Tennis Courts on April 7 for two matches, scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. PT in La Jolla.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.