SAN DIEGO – Vessa Turley and Tea Lukic took down UCLA’s Polina Marakhtanova and Koronayashe Rugara in a Monday morning thriller to capture the ITA Southwest Regional doubles title and punch their ticket to the 2026 NCAA Doubles Championships. The Aztecs earned five victories over the weekend to claim their first doubles title as a duo.
The Bruins struck first in Monday’s final, taking a 6-4 win in set one.
It was a back-and-forth battle through the first four games of the second set, but the Aztecs came out on top 6-4 to bring the match to a 10-point tiebreaker.
The two teams exchanged points, with neither leading by more than two, until Turley and Lukic ultimately pulled away for a 10-7 victory.
"It was a great tournament for Vessa and Tea," said Head Coach Nicolas Vinel. "It's the second tournament they've played together, and they're just getting better every day. Today was one of the first times we didn't start off the way we wanted, and we lost the first set. I'm very proud of the way they were able to flip the script and come from behind and finish with a good win. The more they play together, the more compatible they become, so we're excited for what the future holds."
This will be the first individual NCAA appearance for Lukic, and the second for Turley, who qualified in doubles in 2025 as a freshman, alongside Aztec alum Jo-Yee Chan.
The duo will head to Athens, Ga. to compete in the doubles draw, beginning Nov. 17.