The UC Santa Cruz women’s tennis team began its 2026-27 season by competing in the Central Valley Clash on September 25 and 26 in Stockton, California. The Banana Slugs faced UC Davis and the University of the Pacific in doubles and singles matches.
On September 25, all doubles teams fell to their opponents, with Veronica Miller and Maria Gurchumelidze earning the most competitive doubles result for UC Santa Cruz in an 8-3 loss. In singles, Alicia DeWitt advanced after her original opponent withdrew and then secured a commanding 6-1, 6-0 victory in her next match. Other singles players lost in straight sets.
Day two featured additional doubles matches, where Maria Gurchumelidze and Ella Fuchs won the lone doubles match for the Banana Slugs with an 8-5 victory. Other pairs lost, including a close 8-5 match for Chloe Wu and Lucy Yung.
UC Santa Cruz will next compete at the ITA West Regionals, beginning October 2, 2026.
CSB Take
The season opener presented challenges for UC Santa Cruz women’s tennis in both doubles and singles competition at the Central Valley Clash. Alicia DeWitt’s singles wins and the doubles success of Maria Gurchumelidze and Ella Fuchs provided encouraging highlights. These early matches are valuable for gaining experience and will help the team prepare for the ITA West Regionals, where they can aim to improve their performance and results.
Source: Original report
