HONOLULU, O'ahu – The University of Hawai'i women's tennis team concluded their 2021 home schedule after being knocked off by UC Santa Barbara, 5-2, Saturday at the UH Tennis Complex.
 
On a day when the Rainbow Wahine celebrated four seniors on Senior Day, three of them were out of the line-up due to various ailments. Despite playing short-handed, UH managed to capture the last two singles courts at No. 1 and No. 4 after UCSB captured the doubles point and clinched the singles in a close match on the No. 2 court. 
 
In doubles, UH dropped matches at No. 3 and No. 1 courts giving the Gauchos the early lead in the match. UH's No. 3 duo of Madison Kim and Anna Kalabukhova were sidestepped by Marta Gonzalez-Balbe and Camille Kiss, 6-1 while UH's Satsuki Takamura and Nikola Dolakova fell to Lise Sentenac and Elizaveta Volodko in a close 6-4 decision at No. 1. 
 
In singles, the 'Bows fell behind early as UCSB built a 3-0 lead in the dual. At No. 3, Kim dropped her match to Shakhnoza Khatamova, 6-0, 6-1 and Kalabukhova fell to Gonzalez-Balbe at No. 6. The match was clinched for the Gauchos at No. 2 but not before Takamura extended her contest with Kiss to a third set where she succumbed, 6-3, 0-6, 6-1.
 
After UH's Rebecca Ehn was brought down by Kira Reuter, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 5, Hawai'i did not show any quit. Dolakova, the only senior competing on Saturday, rallied to win a third set super-tiebreaker, 3-6, 6-4, 10-3, at No. 1 and Merrill took down Sentenac in three sets, 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.

Following the match, the team celebrated seniors Dolakova, Petra Melounova, Bojana Markovic, and Michelle Pits, the latter of whom could not attend due to illness.
 
The Rainbow Wahine will now hit the road for three-match road trip beginning at UC Davis Sunday, April 11 in Davis, Calif.
 
UC Santa Barbara 5, Hawai'i 2
April 3, 2021
Honolulu, O'ahu (UH Tennis Complex)
 
Doubles
1. Lise Sentenac/Elizaveta Volodko (UCSB) def. Satsuki Takamura/Nikola Dolakova (UH) 6-4
2. Rebecca Ehn/Alexis Merrill (UH) vs. Shakhnoza Khatamova/Kira Reuter (UCSB) 5-4, unfinished
3. Marta Gonzalez-Balbe/Camille Kiss (UCSB) def. Madison Kim/Anna Kalabukhova (UH) 6-1
Order of finish: (3, 1*)

Singles
1. Nikola Dolakova (UH) def. Elizaveta Volodko (UCSB) 3-6, 6-4, 10-3
2. Camille Kiss (UCSB) def. Satsuki Takamura (UH) 6-3, 0-6, 6-1
3. Shakhnoza Khatamova (UCSB) def. Madison Kim (UH) 6-0, 6-1
4. Alexis Merrill (UH) def. Lise Sentenac (UCSB) 6-2, 1-6, 7-5
5. Kira Reuter (UCSB) def. Rebecca Ehn (UH) 6-2, 6-4
6. Marta Gonzalez-Balbe (UCSB) def. Anna Kalabukhova (UH) 6-0, 6-2
Order of finish: (3, 6, 2*, 5, 1, 4)