Anna 
The No. 26 Pepperdine women’s tennis team honored five-time All-American Savannah Broadus on Senior Day but couldn’t complete the celebration with a win, falling 4-2 to No. 42 UC Santa Barbara on Thursday afternoon.
The three-hour, 10-minute match at Pepperdine featured competitive play from start to finish, including six tightly contested singles matches and a doubles point that set the tone early. The Gauchos (11-8, 6-0 Big West), seeking revenge for a 5-2 loss earlier this season, came out strong and never let up.
UCSB won the doubles point and quickly claimed two straight-set wins in singles, jumping ahead 3-0. Despite the early deficit, Pepperdine’s talented freshmen stepped up to keep the match alive.
Alexia Harmon continued her impressive form, earning a 6-2, 6-1 win over Tyra Richardson on court three. Harmon extended her team-best win streak to seven matches, dominating with five straight games in the opening set and a steady performance in the second.
Soon after, fellow freshman Duru Söke delivered a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory over Carla Pacot on court five. Söke took control early, racing to a 5-0 lead in the first set and staying sharp throughout long, grinding rallies. Her ability to break serve at key moments sealed the deal.
With the score at 3-2, the Waves needed wins in the final two matches to pull off the comeback. On court six, Pepperdine’s Katarina Vayser forced a third set, while on court one, Savannah Broadus battled UCSB’s All-American Amelia Honer. The match came down to a second-set tiebreak, where Honer rallied from behind with crisp drop shots and accurate serves to win 6-4, 7-6 (7), clinching the match for UCSB and handing Pepperdine its first home loss of the season.
Despite the setback, Pepperdine showed depth and fight — especially from its underclassmen.
The Waves now turn their focus to a tough road doubleheader on Saturday. They’ll face No. 57 San Diego at noon, followed by a 6 p.m. match against UC San Diego.
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