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Gianluca Brunkow noticed UC Santa Barbara associate head coach Blake Muller watching his match at the Southern California Junior Sectionals.

Brunkow had suffered a quarterfinal loss, but Muller’s presence resonated with him. The Gauchos were the first school that reached out to Brunkow once they could contact him during his junior year.

Blue Chip Gianluca Brunkow Is Signing with UCSB
© Contributed Photo

"I felt like Blake was one of the first coaches to really believe in me. It was nice to have a coach say they want you first and are very interested,” Brunkow said. “He said he liked my game and liked me as a person and thought I had a lot of potential and was going to be a great player. He saw a lot of ability for me to keep improving throughout college."

Brunkow heard from other schools in the ensuing months, but he never felt as comfortable as he did with UCSB. It was the first school he visited, and remained the frontrunner until the very end.

The blue chip senior from Topanaga, California will be joining the Gauchos in the fall of 2021.

"I just really liked the vibe of the school and I got along really well with Coach Blake and (Head) Coach Marty, (Davis)” Brunkow said. “It was a top tennis program in SoCal, which is exactly what I was looking for. It seemed like a perfect place for me."