Washington State University Athletics
Saturday, February 28
Seattle, Wash.
1 p.m.
Washington State University
4
vs
3
No. 36 UC Santa Barbara
Photo by: Shelly Hanks/WSU Photo Services
Cougars Upset No. 36 UC Santa Barbara in 4-3 Victory
February 28, 2026 | Tennis
SEATTLE, Wash. (Feb. 28, 2026) – Redshirt-junior Yura Nakagawa's three-set victory at No. 4 singles clinched a 4-3 Washington State victory over No. 36 UC Santa Barbara Saturday afternoon at the Nordstrom Tennis Center. It marked the highest-ranked victory for WSU since defeating No. 35 Washington, April 20, 2022.
With the win, the Cougars pick up their first ranked win of the season and improve to 7-4. UCSB falls to 5-6.
In a match that went back-and forth throughout the day, the deciding point came down to No. 4 singles, where Nakagawa captured a late break of serve against Raphaelle Leroux to take the first set 7-5. Leroux stormed back in the second, taking it 6-1 to force a deciding third set. Neither player could pull away in the third until Nakagawa, after being broken three-straight services games, held serve to take a 5-3 lead. She then broke Leroux for the fourth-straight time to give the Cougars the victory.
WSU opened the day by winning two doubles matches to capture the opening point. At No. 1, WSU's Maxine Murphy and Chisato Kanemaki were first off the court with a 6-4 win over Ekua Youri and Shachf Liebermann. The Cougars clinched the opening point when Eva Alvarez Sande and Ava-Monet Sycamore completed a 7-5 win over Emma Tutovasumu and Shanelle Iaconi. At No. 3, WSU's Nakagawa and Zali Morris were leading 6-5, and actually were at match point, when the match was clinched by Court 2.
The Gauchos took a 2-1 lead by capturing singles wins on Courts 3 and 6. On Court 3, Tutoveanu posted a 6-3, 6-2 win over Martina Puvill while Lily Pradkin defeated Sycamore by an identical score at No. 6.
Murphy at No. 2 evened the match at 2-2 as she won the final six games in a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Liebermann. Alvarez Sande pushed the Cougars to within one win of victory as she completed a 6-1, 7-5 win over Youti at No. 1.
At No. 5, My-Anh Holmes captured a first-set tiebreaker then cruised to a 7-6, 6-2 win over Kanemaki to even the match at 3-3 and leaving the deciding match to Court 4.
The Cougars return home Tuesday, March 3 to face No. 10 Pepperdine at Hollingbery Fieldhouse Match time is set for 1 p.m.
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Washington State 4 def. No.36 UC Santa Barbara 3
February 28, 2026
Nordstrom Tennis Center
Seattle, Wash.
DOUBLES
No. 1 Maxine Murphy/Chisato Kanemaki (WSU) def. Ekua Youri/Shachf Liebermann (UCSB) 6-4
No. 2 Eva Alvarez Sande/Ava-Monet Sycamore (WSU) def. Emma Tutoveanu/Shanelle Iaconi (UCSB) 7-5
No. 3 Zali Morris/Yura Nakagawa (WSU) vs. My-Anh Holmes/Raphaelle Leroux (UCSB) 6-5 DNF
Order of Finish: 1,2
SINGLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. Ekua Youri (UCSB) 6-1, 7-5
No. 2 Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Shachf Liebermann (UCSB) 6-1, 6-3
No. 3 Emma Tutoveanu (UCSB) def. Martina Puvill (WSU) 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 Yura Nakagawa (WSU) def. Raphaelle Leroux (UCSB) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3
No. 5 My-Anh Holmes (UCSB) def. Chisato Kanemaki (WSU) 7-6 (4), 6-2
No. 6 Lily Pradkin (UCSB) def. Ava-Monet Sycamore (WSU) 6-3, 6-2
Order of Finish: 3,6,2,1,5,4
With the win, the Cougars pick up their first ranked win of the season and improve to 7-4. UCSB falls to 5-6.
In a match that went back-and forth throughout the day, the deciding point came down to No. 4 singles, where Nakagawa captured a late break of serve against Raphaelle Leroux to take the first set 7-5. Leroux stormed back in the second, taking it 6-1 to force a deciding third set. Neither player could pull away in the third until Nakagawa, after being broken three-straight services games, held serve to take a 5-3 lead. She then broke Leroux for the fourth-straight time to give the Cougars the victory.
WSU opened the day by winning two doubles matches to capture the opening point. At No. 1, WSU's Maxine Murphy and Chisato Kanemaki were first off the court with a 6-4 win over Ekua Youri and Shachf Liebermann. The Cougars clinched the opening point when Eva Alvarez Sande and Ava-Monet Sycamore completed a 7-5 win over Emma Tutovasumu and Shanelle Iaconi. At No. 3, WSU's Nakagawa and Zali Morris were leading 6-5, and actually were at match point, when the match was clinched by Court 2.
The Gauchos took a 2-1 lead by capturing singles wins on Courts 3 and 6. On Court 3, Tutoveanu posted a 6-3, 6-2 win over Martina Puvill while Lily Pradkin defeated Sycamore by an identical score at No. 6.
Murphy at No. 2 evened the match at 2-2 as she won the final six games in a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Liebermann. Alvarez Sande pushed the Cougars to within one win of victory as she completed a 6-1, 7-5 win over Youti at No. 1.
At No. 5, My-Anh Holmes captured a first-set tiebreaker then cruised to a 7-6, 6-2 win over Kanemaki to even the match at 3-3 and leaving the deciding match to Court 4.
The Cougars return home Tuesday, March 3 to face No. 10 Pepperdine at Hollingbery Fieldhouse Match time is set for 1 p.m.
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Washington State 4 def. No.36 UC Santa Barbara 3
February 28, 2026
Nordstrom Tennis Center
Seattle, Wash.
DOUBLES
No. 1 Maxine Murphy/Chisato Kanemaki (WSU) def. Ekua Youri/Shachf Liebermann (UCSB) 6-4
No. 2 Eva Alvarez Sande/Ava-Monet Sycamore (WSU) def. Emma Tutoveanu/Shanelle Iaconi (UCSB) 7-5
No. 3 Zali Morris/Yura Nakagawa (WSU) vs. My-Anh Holmes/Raphaelle Leroux (UCSB) 6-5 DNF
Order of Finish: 1,2
SINGLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. Ekua Youri (UCSB) 6-1, 7-5
No. 2 Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Shachf Liebermann (UCSB) 6-1, 6-3
No. 3 Emma Tutoveanu (UCSB) def. Martina Puvill (WSU) 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 Yura Nakagawa (WSU) def. Raphaelle Leroux (UCSB) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3
No. 5 My-Anh Holmes (UCSB) def. Chisato Kanemaki (WSU) 7-6 (4), 6-2
No. 6 Lily Pradkin (UCSB) def. Ava-Monet Sycamore (WSU) 6-3, 6-2
Order of Finish: 3,6,2,1,5,4
Players Mentioned
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