No. 16 Cal Hosts No. 57 UCSB In Home Opener

Freshman Mao Mushika will make her home dual-match debut on Sunday.

The 16th-ranked California women’s tennis team plays its first home dual-match of the season when the Golden Bears host No. 57 UC Santa Barbara on Sunday at noon at the Hellman Tennis Complex.
 
The Bears, who hosted their annual fall and winter tournaments earlier this season, have a 4-2 dual-match record. The Gauchos are 3-3 ahead of a Saturday match at Stanford.
 
Match information
 
No. 16 Cal (4-2) vs. No. 57 UC Santa Barbara (3-3)
When: Sunday, Feb. 25, Noon PT
Where: Hellman Tennis Complex, Berkeley, Calif.
Watch: Livestream
Admission: Free
 
Last Time: Bears Beat SDSU
Cal defeated host San Diego State, 5-2, on Sunday at the Aztec Tennis Center, with junior Lan Mi clinching the victory.
 
Cal continued its strong doubles play in 2024 when the Bears claimed the doubles point against SDSU. The pair of Berta Passola Folch and Tiziana-Marie Schomburg posted a 6-3 win over Aztecs Gloria Alogo and Zoe Olmos on court three. But the Cal tandem of senior Valentina Ivanov and junior Jessica Alsola suffered its first dual-match loss of the season – a 6-3 setback against SDSU’s Andjela Skrobonja and Andreea Velcea – leaving the Bears’ Mao Mushika and Hannah Viller Moeller to secure the point with a 7-6(3) win over Yasmine Kabbaj and Myah Petchey on court one.
 
With Cal’s nationally ranked Alsola and Katja Wiersholm unavailable for singles, newcomers Mi and Schomburg, a freshman, got the nod. Along with fellow new Bear Mushika, another freshman, and another underclassman in Passola Folch, a sophomore, they collected singles victories against SDSU. First, Mushika earned a win over Petchey, taking the first set 6-4 and prevailing when Petchey retired with an injury. After a Cal loss left the Bears with a 2-1 lead, Passola Folch bested Alogo, 6-2, 6-2, to give Cal a 3-1 advantage, and then Mi topped Velcea, 6-3, 6-3, to clinch the win with Cal leading 4-1.
 
The teams split the last two matches, with Schomburg beating Olmos 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(6) to complete the overall match and capture the first dual-match singles win of her career.
 
The Bears had been scheduled to play at UCLA on Monday, but the match was canceled due to rain.
 
Last Time Vs. UCSB
Cal routed UC Santa Barbara, 6-1, on Jan. 21, 2023, as Hannah…