HONOLULU--The 75th-ranked University of Hawai'i men's tennis team (10-2, 3-1 Big West) upset perennial Big West powerhouse, #53 UC Santa Barbara, 4-3 in UH's final home match of 2022. The win snapped a five-match losing streak to the Gauchos dating back to 2015. UCSB has won seven of the last eight Big West titles--including the last six-straight. It was also Senior Day for the Rainbow Warriors. The team and its fans celebrated the career of fifth-year senior Blaz Seric as well as juniors Andre Ilagan and Simao Telo Alves who are fourth-year juniors that are graduating this spring.

UC Santa Barbara (11-5, 0-1 Big West) took an early 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point. UCSB's No. 1 duo of Phillip Jordan and Kai Brady doubled up on UH's Andre Ilagan and Karl Collins, 6-3. The Gauchos then won the No. 3 match with Pablo Masjuan and Gianluca Brunkow holding off UH's Simao Telo Alves and Killian Maitre, 6-4.

The Rainbow Warriors however, then battled back in singles, winning the first three matches right out of the gate to build a 3-1 lead. UH's No. 5, Collins led off with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Gianluca Brunkkow and Maitre knocked off the Gauchos' P. Boullenger on the No. 6 court, 6-1, 7-5. UH's No. 1 player, 20th-ranked Andre Ilagan extended UH's lead to 3-1 with a straight-set win over Phillip Jordan, 6-1, 6-4. UCSB's Brady briefly stemmed the UH momentum defeating Guillaume Tattevin, 6-3, 6-4. But on Senior Day, Hawai'i's super senior, Blaz Seric clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Viktor Krustev on the No. 3 court. In the final match of the day, which did not figure in the decision, UCSB's Pablo Masjuan outlasted UH's Axel Labrunie in three sets, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.

Hawai'i's last win over UC Santa Barbara came in 2013--UH's first year in the Big West. The 'Bows edged out the Gauchos 4-3 on April 17th, 2013.  

The Rainbow Warriors have two more regular season, Big West matches on the road at UC Riverside (April 20, 2022) and at UC Irvine (April 24) before heading to the Big West Championship Tournament April 29-31, 2022 at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, Calif.

#75 Hawaii 4, #53 UC Santa Barbara 3
3/27/2022 at Honolulu, O'ahu
(UH Tennis Complex)

Singles competition
1. #20 Andre Ilagan (UH-M) def. Phillip Jordan (UCSB) 6-1, 6-4
2. Pablo Masjuan (UCSB) def. Axel Labunie (UH-M) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
3. Blaz Seric (UH-M) def. Viktor Krustev (UCSB) 6-3, 6-3
4. Kai Brady (UCSB) def. Guillaume Tattevin (UH-M) 6-3, 6-4
5. Karl Collins (UH-M) def. Gianluca Brunkow (UCSB) 6-4, 6-2
6. Kilian Maitre (UH-M) def. P. Boullenger (UCSB) 6-1, 7-5

Doubles competition
1. Phillip Jordan/Kai Brady (UCSB) def. Andre Ilagan/Karl Collins (UH-M) 6-3
2. Axel Labunie/Blaz Seric (UH-M) vs. Alejandro Vedri/Viktor Krustev (UCSB) 6-5, unfinished
3. Pablo Masjuan/Gianluca Brunkow (UCSB) def. Simao Telo Alves/Kilian Maitre (UH-M) 6-4

Match Notes:
UC Santa Barbara 11-5, 0-1BWC; National ranking #53
Hawaii 10-2, 3-1 BWC; National ranking #75
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (5,6,1,4,3,2)