MONTGOMERY, Ala. – After seeing their scheduled match yesterday pushed back due to inclement weather, Alabama A&M (5-8, 5-1 SWAC) pulled out a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Alcorn State (4-10, 3-3 SWAC) in an NCAA Division I women's tennis match on Sunday, March 13.
 
It would be a nip-and-tuck affair right from first serve as Alcorn's Jaime Edwards and Stefany Grlj took No. 2 doubles with a 6-3 victory over juniors Ximena D. Ramirez (Asuncion, Paraguay) and Camila Ruiz Diaz (Asuncion, Paraguay). The tandem of junior Jasmine Boyd (Marion, Ind.) and sophomore Neha Ghare (Pune, India) then pulled out a 7-5 decision at the top spot to knot the doubles portion up at 1-1.
 
That left it to the pairing of freshman Deja Brown (Spring Valley, Calif.) and senior India Woods (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) at the No. 3 position. They would not falter as they pulled out a 7-6 win by way of an 8-6 tie-breaker over Andrea Quiroz and Tangia Riley-Codrington to secure the doubles point and the 1-0 lead that came with it.
 
They would need it as the Braves came out and won the first two singles matches with Mikaela Konstantinova delivering a 6-2, 7-5 win over Brown at No. 2 and Kimberley Kaome pulling off a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Ramirez at the three spot.
 
Alcorn would not hold the lead long, and not regain it, as Ruiz Diaz notched a 6-3, 6-4 decision over Grlj at No. 4 and Boyd followed her at No. 1 with a 6-4, 7-6 win over Quiroz, the latter frame with a 7-2 tie-break.
 
Up 3-2, the Bulldogs would not let up as Ghare pounded out a three-set win over Aizat Zholdakayeva, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 at the fifth position to bring home the match victory. With the matter in hand, Edwards completed a 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 victory over Woods to reach the final margin of 4-3.
 
Alabama A&M wraps up the SWAC Pod tomorrow, Monday, March 14 as they take on Prairie View in a key match as they continue their pursuit of a regular season championship. That match, rescheduled from Saturday, March 12 due to high winds, is set for 10 a.m. in Montgomery, Alabama.
 
ALABAMA A&M 4, ALCORN STATE 3
Doubles
No. 1. Jasmine Boyd/Neha Ghare (AAMU) def. Kimberley Kaome/Aizat Zholdakayeva (ALCN) 7-5
No. 2. Jaime Edwards/Stefany Grlj (ALCN) def. Camila Ruiz Diaz/Ximena D. Ramirez (AAMU) 6-3
No. 3. Deja Brown/India Woods (AAMU) def. Andrea Quiroz/T. Riley-Codrington (ALCN) 7-6 (8-6)
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
 
Singles
No. 1. Jasmine Boyd (AAMU) def. Andrea Quiroz (ALCN) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
No. 2. M. Konstantinova (ALCN) def. Deja Brown (AAMU) 6-2, 7-5
No. 3. Kimberley Kaome (ALCN) def. Ximena D. Ramirez (AAMU) 7-5, 6-3
No. 4. Camila Ruiz Diaz (AAMU) def. Stefany Grlj (ALCN) 6-3, 6-4
No. 5. Neha Ghare (AAMU) def. Aizat Zholdakayeva (ALCN) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
No. 6. Jaime Edwards (ALCN) def. India Woods (AAMU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-0
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 4, 1, 5, 6