Sometimes the best seasons are the ones you never see coming. For BYU women's tennis head coach Holly Hasler and her Cougars, that's exactly what's happened—a "rebuilding year" that turned into a storybook run to the NCAA Tournament.

"I knew we would be short-handed going into the season with seven players," Hasler said. "I have a lineup of freshmen and sophomores, a junior and one fifth-year senior. I thought we had to just get through this season and use it as a rebuilding year."

Instead, the Cougars (19-8) are enjoying their best season since 2007—a banner campaign that has them back on college tennis's biggest stage. After a 17-year NCAA Tournament drought, BYU is dancing for the second time since 2024, and the energy around the program is electric.

"It's fun to see all the hard work pay off at the end of a super tough season," said Hasler, who took over the program in 2018. "My goal was to get this team and the tennis program back into national relevance. It takes a lot of years to build a great program."

For Hasler, this moment carries extra weight. As a freshman, she was BYU's top singles player heading into the 1997 NCAA Tournament. Now, she's guiding a new generation of Cougars through the same postseason gauntlet.

"All the emotions are involved when you get to a big tournament like this. It's super exciting," she said. "I told the girls today, there has to be so much gratitude going into this because the stars have really aligned for us this season. I want to go in with assertive confidence but no cockiness."

The Cougars, battle-tested by a grueling Big 12 schedule, face Stanford (13-10) on Friday morning at 11 a.m. MDT in Malibu, California. The winner advances to face either Pepperdine or UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. It's a tough draw, but this team has thrived when counted out.

"Stanford is always a very tough team," Hasler acknowledged. "We are the underdog, but we have every reason to be going in with more confidence than they have with how our season has gone. I feel like we are really ready and super excited."

Leading the charge is UCF transfer Gracie Levelston. The 6-foot-1 junior from Vero Beach, Florida, has been a force this season, posting a 14-4 singles record. Her journey from the East Coast to Provo has been a perfect fit for a team that's embracing its underdog role.

"We are always looking forward to playing tougher teams and beating tougher teams," Hasler said. "I don't want to feel content, but I'm proud of the season we've had."

For fans of the Cougars—and anyone who loves a good sports story—this is a team worth watching. They've already defied expectations. Now, they're ready to make some noise on the national stage.