This post was updated May 7 at 9:47 p.m.

When all was said and done in North Carolina, senior Sasha Vagramov had made her mark, and she felt it.

“That was the best feeling of my life,” Vagramov said. “I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.”

After starting off in a 3-1 rut, UCLA women’s tennis (15-7, 6-4 Pac-12) came back to pull off an underdog victory against No. 6 seed Duke (23-5, 11-2 ACC) and extend its season. The Bruins began their NCAA tournament run with a 4-1 decision over Texas Tech (14-11, 4-5 Big 12) on Friday. They went on to claim a 4-3 victory over the Blue Devils in the second round Saturday, sealed by Vagramov’s 7-6 (3), 7-6 (8-6) clinch.

Coach Stella Sampras Webster emphasized her excitement for Vagramov’s success.

“To see the way she played and hit shots that coming in as a freshman she struggled with and to see her improvement and confidence in that position was incredible,” Sampras Webster said. “I’m just so happy for her, it’s so well deserved.”

Vagramov clinched both of the weekend’s victories, knocking out Texas Tech’s Metka Komac and Duke’s Iuliia Bryzgalova in straight sets.

“There was so much happening – there was a car alarm going off, there was a helicopter in the sky – it was ridiculous. It was almost like a fever dream,” Vagramov said. “I just took it all in and told myself, ‘This is going my way. There is nothing that is going to get in my way now.’”

The Bruins began both contests down 1-0 after the No. 7-ranked sophomore duo of Elise Wagle and Kimmi Hance was unable to snag the deciding doubles wins against the Red Raiders and Blue Devils. However, both found success in singles play.

Wagle defeated Texas Tech’s Cristina Tiglea in straight sets and provided UCLA’s first point against Duke with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ellie Coleman. Her No. 112-ranked doubles partner also gave UCLA two singles points this weekend, forcing straight-set surrenders from Texas Tech’s Avelina Sayfetdinova and Duke’s No. 62-ranked Georgia Drummy.

Three Bruins pulled off comebacks over the weekend, including freshman Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer, who said she needed time to adjust to her Blue Devil opponent’s style throughout the match.

“It definitely took me a while to feel like I was striking the ball well and moving better,” Lutkemeyer said. “Honestly, today it was all just about mentality and sticking through it.”

And stick through it she did. After losing her first set against Duke 6-0 and beginning her second in a 3-0 hole, Lutkemeyer would go on to win 13 of her next 19 games en route to a 0-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory over Brianna Shvets.

Lutkemeyer ended her regular season with a sub-.500 dual-singles record but fell just a point shy of tallying two singles wins in her NCAA debut weekend. Sampras Webster said she is proud of Lutkemeyer’s mentality and growth during her freshman campaign, which culminated in Saturday’s comeback victory.

“Just to see that kind of growth and for her as a freshman to be able to compose herself in such a big situation and come out with a big win for the team, I’m just so happy for her,” Sampras Webster said. “She has a lot of high expectations for herself, and it’s great for her to win now.”

Following the conclusion of the team’s celebration with Vagramov, Lutkemeyer had a prolonged embrace with fellow freshman No. 14 Fangran Tian. The duo has won 10 of their 11 doubles matches this season, the highest winning percentage of any Bruin pairing.

“The moment with Tian was so special to me. Honestly, she’s like the sister I never had,” Lutkemeyer said. “The love I have for her is so special.”

Tian, who was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year on Thursday, provided the Bruins’ first win against the Red Raiders with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Olivia Peet. However, she dropped her match against Duke’s No. 6 Chloe Beck a day later, marking the first dual-singles loss of her career after 16 consecutive wins.

The start time of UCLA’s match with Duke was pushed back nearly two hours, and the teams played well into the night, finishing just after 10 p.m. EDT. Vagramov said the nighttime might have been her key to success.

“There was a full moon that I noticed, and I just thought that was really magical,” Vagramov said. “I think it was a sign from the universe that I needed to win.”

Divine messages or not, UCLA is headed to Ames, Iowa, on Friday to take on No. 11 seed Iowa State in the NCAA Super Regionals.