SANTA BARBARA – The 15th-ranked California women's tennis team defeated No. 40 UC Santa Barbara 4-3 on Saturday at the Arnhold Tennis Center to improve its record to 6-2.
 
The Gauchos fell to 8-8 after the nonconference dual match.
 
Without the services of freshman Johanne Svendsen and sophomore Naomi Xu in its previous match, Cal had both Golden Bears in the lineup against UCSB. The return of Svendsen paid immediate dividends, as the 76th-ranked pair of the Dane and Mao Mushika defeated Shanelle Iaconi and Isabella Wong 6-4 at Court-1 doubles. Cal senior Berta Passola Folch and sophomore Sophie Hernandez secured the doubles point when they beat Lily Pradkin and My-Anh Holmes 7-6(4) on Court 2.
 
Svendsen — ranked 55th in singles — gave Cal a 2-0 lead when she bested Shachf Liebermann 6-1, 6-1 on Court 1. Back-to-back Gaucho wins left the match tied 2-2 until Passola Folch — ranked 11th — beat Ekua Youri 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-1 on Court 2 to give Cal the lead back at 3-2.
 
Another UCSB win knotted the contest 3-3 — before 57th-ranked Mushika edged Wong 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5 on Court 3 to give Cal the win and end the match.
 
The Bears head to Malibu on Sunday to play No. 6 Pepperdine for the second time in a week.
 
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