MONTGOMERY, Ala. – It would come down to the very last match in singles as Alabama A&M (4-2, 4-1 SWAC) slipped past Alcorn State (2-9, 1-2 SWAC) by a 4-3 score in an NCAA Division I women's tennis match on Friday, March 12.
 
In a match where the records did not accurately portray the play on the court, Alcorn State came out strong following a 6-1 No. 1 doubles win by A&M juniors Jasmine Boyd (Marion, Ind.) and Anita Bozhko (Minsk, Belarus).
 
Coming off that stinging defeat, Mikaela Konstantinova and Aizat Zholdakyeva posted a 6-3 win over junior India Woods (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) and sophomore Camila Ruiz Diaz (Asuncion, Paraguay) at No. 2 before Jaime Edwards and Stefany Grlj brought home the doubles point with a 6-4 decision over junior Ximena Duarte Ramirez (Asuncion, Paraguay) and senior Nthabiseng Mashego (Alabaster, Ala.).
 
The teams would split the first two points in singles action as Ruiz Diaz notched a 6-3, 6-3 decision over Edwards at No. 4 and Grlj defeated Woods 6-1, 6-2 at the six spot. The top of the order would then come through for the Bulldogs as Boyd delivered a 6-1, 6-4 win over Knonstantinova at No. 2 and Bozhko knocked off Riley-Condrington by scores of 6-2, 6-3.
 
Those wins left Alabama A&M with a 3-2 lead and one win away from clinching the match. It would not come at No. 3, however, as Zholdakyeva pulled out a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Duarte Ramirez to deadlock at 3-3. That would leave it to sophomore Neha Ghare (Pune, India) and Kaome at the fifth spot.
 
Kaome would take the early lead with a narrow 6-4 victory and have the Braves one set away from the win before Ghare came back to claim a 7-5 second set victory. In a marathon battle, it would be Ghare that would pull through as she took the third set by a 6-2 score and locked up the 4-3 match victory.
 
Alabama A&M puts their four-match win streak on the line right away as they take on Prairie View A&M tomorrow, Saturday, March 13. First serve is set for 10 a.m. in Montgomery, Alabama.
 
ALABAMA A&M 4, ALCORN STATE 3
Doubles
No. 1 Jasmine Boyd/Anita Bozhko def. Kimberley Kaome/Tangia Riley-Codrington 6-1
No. 2 Mikaela Konstantinova/Aizat Zholdakyeva def. India Woods/Camila Ruiz Diaz 6-3
No. 3 Jaime Edwards/Stefany Grlj vs. Ximena Duarte Ramirez/Nthabiseng Mashego 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
 
Singles
No. 1 Anita Bozhko def. Tangia Riley-Codrington 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 Jasmine Boyd vs. Mikaela Konstantinova 6-1, 6-4
No. 3 Aizat Zholdakyeva def. Ximena Duarte Ramirez 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
No. 4 Camila Ruiz Diaz vs. Jaime Edwards 6-3, 6-3
No. 5 Neha Ghare vs. Kimberley Kaome 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
No. 6 Stefany Grlj vs. India Woods 6-1, 6-2
Order of Finish: 4, 6, 2, 1, 3, 5