The last time Cal Poly matched up against UC Santa Barbara a year ago on April 26, 2024, the stakes were at an all-time high. The two teams were competing for a spot in the 2024 Big West Conference Championship.
The No. 5-seeded Mustangs won the match in a storybook setting, taking down the No. 1-seeded Guachos, 4-2. Graduate student Melissa LaMette was the hero, clinching the match in tiebreaking fashion to send Cal Poly to the Big West Championship.
The win ultimately paved the path for the Mustangs to win their second Big West Championship in program history, defeating CSU Fullerton in the title match the very next day on April 27.
Fast-forward to 2025. The Mustangs and Guachos will meet again with postseason implications on the line on Saturday, April 19.
The winner will earn the Big West regular season crown and No. 1 seed in the upcoming Big West Tournament. While the loser ends up with the No. 2 seed, both teams will receive an automatic bye until the semifinal round.
UC Santa Barbara leads the series history over Cal Poly with a 13-7-1 record all-time.
However, the Mustangs have not lost to the Gauchos since 2021.
Currently, Cal Poly boasts an 18-3 record, slotting in at the second spot in the Big West Conference at 7-1, with a national rank of No. 51.
Riding a nine-match win streak, the last time the Mustangs were defeated goes all the way back to May 8, falling to No. 68 Long Beach State.
UC Santa Barbara, on the other hand, comes into this matchup with a ranking of No. 33 in the country, with an undefeated 8-0 Big West Conference record, and 13-8 on the season.
They, too, are in the midst of a nine-match win streak as well, falling last to No. 26 Pepperdine on May 13.
However, in a rematch on Sunday, April 13, the Gauchos got revenge and took down Pepperdine on the road to even the season series, undoubtedly their biggest win of the year.
The Gauchos are led by senior Amelia Honer, who carries a 27-5 record this year and has risen all the way to become the No. 12-ranked singles player in the country.
11 a.m. on Saturday, April 19, is the date and time for the upcoming No. 1 vs No. 2 showdown at the Arnhold Tennis Center in Santa Barbara, California.
