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This paper discusses the application of freeze gelation of silica sols for the manufacture of low-cost, net-shape components in ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs). A brief analysis is made of the central features which determine the stiffness, strength, and toughness of composite materials insofar as they may be applied to this particular class of CMCs. The critical processing parameters, relating mainly to the matrix phase, are reviewed and the results of the program so far obtained are interpreted in the context of this analysis. It is clear that interactions between processing parameters make optimization a complex process. In shortfiber composites, matrix porosity dominates composite properties, while in continuous-fiber systems, it is fiber degradation that controls the composite performance.