Saturday, April 25
Fairfield, Calif.
2:00 PM
Pepperdine University
4
vs
1
San Diego
No. 11 Women's Tennis Claims 12th Consecutive WCC Championship with 4-1 Win Over No. 51 San Diego
4/25/2026 8:42:00 PM | Women's Tennis
FAIRFIELD, Calif. — No. 11 Pepperdine women's tennis (18-4, 7-0 WCC) claimed its 12th consecutive West Coast Conference (WCC) Championship crown with a 4-1 victory against No. 51 San Diego (13-10, 6-1 WCC) Saturday afternoon from Green Valley Country Club in Fairfield.
Pepperdine has now won 34 WCC Women's Tennis Championships, as the Waves have been unbeaten in the WCC Tournament dating back to the 2013 campaign.
The Waves have also now punched their ticket to their 29th straight NCAA Tournament, and 41st overall. Pepperdine is primed to host an NCAA Regional, scheduled for May 1-2. The NCAA Selection Show will take place Monday at 1:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.
The Waves took the doubles point and then jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a pair of straight set singles wins from Živa Falkner and Chantal Sauvant. Sonja Zhiyenbayeva then clinched the victory for the Waves in a third set tiebreak.
"Facing San Diego in the conference championship is always a tough battle," noted head coach Tassilo Schmid following the match. "The girls did a great job of handling the moment and trusting who we are as a team. In doubles, Chantal and Nastia did a great job closing out their win. In singles, we showed up for each other and stayed strong in the big moments. This was a great test for us ahead of the NCAA Tournament."
Falkner and Zhiyenbayeva set the tone early on in doubles, going from down a break to eventually win 6-4. Pepperdine's other First Team All-Doubles pair finished the job next, as Anastasiia Grechkina and Sauvant claimed a 6-4 win which clinched the doubles point for the Waves.
Duru Söke and Shihomi Leong saw their match abandoned on court three while ahead 5-4.
Moving to singles, San Diego took the first set on four courts, but the Waves went on to win four of the five second sets that were completed to prevail in the match.
Falkner was the first to pick up a win, dropping just one game at the No. 1 position. She defeated Charlotte Keitel, 6-1, 6-0, putting Pepperdine in front 2-0 in the match.
Sauvant was next, winning both of her sets on court four by 6-2 scorelines. Sauvant picked up her tenth straight singles win in the process, defeating San Diego's Ines Leon.
The Toreros continued to fight as they claimed a win on court two, but Zhiyenbayeva and Alexia Harmon both forced a decisive third set in their matches after dropping set one.
Zhiyenbayeva rebounded from a 6-2 loss in the first set to take the second set, 6-0, on court three. The third set would come down to a tiebreak, where the WCC Freshman of the Year was able to come out on top 7-3 which clinched the match and title for the Waves.
Harmon was ahead 5-3 in the third set when the match was abandoned. Söke went unfinished on court five while tied 4-4 in the second set.
The Waves have now defeated San Diego in the conference title match in three straight seasons.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. No. 18 Živa Falkner/Sonja Zhiyenbayeva (PEPP) def. Anna Linn Moll/Hannah Read (USD): 6-4
2. Anastasiia Grechkina/Chantal Sauvant (PEPP) def. Vilma Hyllested/Maria Shmakova (USD): 6-4
3. Duru Söke/Shihomi Leong (PEPP) ABN vs. Charlotte Keitel/Kristina Nordikyan (USD): 5-4
Order of finish: 1,2
Singles
1. No. 41 Živa Falkner (PEPP) def. Charlotte Keitel (USD): 6-1, 6-0
2. Vilma Krebs Hyllested (USD) def. No. 29 Anastasiia Grechkina (PEPP): 7-6(5), 6-3
3. No. 50 Sonja Zhiyenbayeva (PEPP) def. Hannah Read (USD): 2-6, 6-0, 7-6(3)
4. Chantal Sauvant (PEPP) def. Ines Leon (USD): 6-2, 6-2
5. No.119 Duru Söke (PEPP) ABN vs. Maria Shmakova (USD): 6(3)-7, 4-4
6. Alexia Harmon (PEPP) ABN vs. Anna Linn Moll (USD:) 1-6, 6-1, 5-3
Order of finish: 1,4,2,3
Pepperdine will await its selection for the NCAA Tournament, with the regional round set for next weekend (May 1-3). NCAA.com will broadcast the selection show on Monday at 1:30 p.m.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S TENNIS
Pepperdine women's tennis has been a consistent powerhouse in the collegiate scene, reaching 41 NCAA Tournaments since 1982 including 29 straight appearances. Since 2018, the program has seen three national runner-ups between both singles and doubles while reaching an NCAA Regional as a team eight times in the past nine tournaments. The success at the conference level has been paramount with 34 WCC Championships including an active streak of 12 consecutive conference titles. With its 24 total All-Americans, the program has also consistently sent players to the pro circuit following their time in Malibu.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women's tennis news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWTEN.
Pepperdine has now won 34 WCC Women's Tennis Championships, as the Waves have been unbeaten in the WCC Tournament dating back to the 2013 campaign.
The Waves have also now punched their ticket to their 29th straight NCAA Tournament, and 41st overall. Pepperdine is primed to host an NCAA Regional, scheduled for May 1-2. The NCAA Selection Show will take place Monday at 1:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.
The Waves took the doubles point and then jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a pair of straight set singles wins from Živa Falkner and Chantal Sauvant. Sonja Zhiyenbayeva then clinched the victory for the Waves in a third set tiebreak.
"Facing San Diego in the conference championship is always a tough battle," noted head coach Tassilo Schmid following the match. "The girls did a great job of handling the moment and trusting who we are as a team. In doubles, Chantal and Nastia did a great job closing out their win. In singles, we showed up for each other and stayed strong in the big moments. This was a great test for us ahead of the NCAA Tournament."
Falkner and Zhiyenbayeva set the tone early on in doubles, going from down a break to eventually win 6-4. Pepperdine's other First Team All-Doubles pair finished the job next, as Anastasiia Grechkina and Sauvant claimed a 6-4 win which clinched the doubles point for the Waves.
Duru Söke and Shihomi Leong saw their match abandoned on court three while ahead 5-4.
Moving to singles, San Diego took the first set on four courts, but the Waves went on to win four of the five second sets that were completed to prevail in the match.
Falkner was the first to pick up a win, dropping just one game at the No. 1 position. She defeated Charlotte Keitel, 6-1, 6-0, putting Pepperdine in front 2-0 in the match.
Sauvant was next, winning both of her sets on court four by 6-2 scorelines. Sauvant picked up her tenth straight singles win in the process, defeating San Diego's Ines Leon.
The Toreros continued to fight as they claimed a win on court two, but Zhiyenbayeva and Alexia Harmon both forced a decisive third set in their matches after dropping set one.
Zhiyenbayeva rebounded from a 6-2 loss in the first set to take the second set, 6-0, on court three. The third set would come down to a tiebreak, where the WCC Freshman of the Year was able to come out on top 7-3 which clinched the match and title for the Waves.
Harmon was ahead 5-3 in the third set when the match was abandoned. Söke went unfinished on court five while tied 4-4 in the second set.
The Waves have now defeated San Diego in the conference title match in three straight seasons.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. No. 18 Živa Falkner/Sonja Zhiyenbayeva (PEPP) def. Anna Linn Moll/Hannah Read (USD): 6-4
2. Anastasiia Grechkina/Chantal Sauvant (PEPP) def. Vilma Hyllested/Maria Shmakova (USD): 6-4
3. Duru Söke/Shihomi Leong (PEPP) ABN vs. Charlotte Keitel/Kristina Nordikyan (USD): 5-4
Order of finish: 1,2
Singles
1. No. 41 Živa Falkner (PEPP) def. Charlotte Keitel (USD): 6-1, 6-0
2. Vilma Krebs Hyllested (USD) def. No. 29 Anastasiia Grechkina (PEPP): 7-6(5), 6-3
3. No. 50 Sonja Zhiyenbayeva (PEPP) def. Hannah Read (USD): 2-6, 6-0, 7-6(3)
4. Chantal Sauvant (PEPP) def. Ines Leon (USD): 6-2, 6-2
5. No.119 Duru Söke (PEPP) ABN vs. Maria Shmakova (USD): 6(3)-7, 4-4
6. Alexia Harmon (PEPP) ABN vs. Anna Linn Moll (USD:) 1-6, 6-1, 5-3
Order of finish: 1,4,2,3
Pepperdine will await its selection for the NCAA Tournament, with the regional round set for next weekend (May 1-3). NCAA.com will broadcast the selection show on Monday at 1:30 p.m.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S TENNIS
Pepperdine women's tennis has been a consistent powerhouse in the collegiate scene, reaching 41 NCAA Tournaments since 1982 including 29 straight appearances. Since 2018, the program has seen three national runner-ups between both singles and doubles while reaching an NCAA Regional as a team eight times in the past nine tournaments. The success at the conference level has been paramount with 34 WCC Championships including an active streak of 12 consecutive conference titles. With its 24 total All-Americans, the program has also consistently sent players to the pro circuit following their time in Malibu.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women's tennis news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWTEN.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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