MACON, Ga. – Florida A&M Women's Tennis continued its fall slate this weekend, finishing up Sunday afternoon's Mercer Gridiron Classic housed at Randy Stephens Tennis Center in Macon, Georgia.
 
The three-day tournament hosted by Mercer University ran October 2-4, and brought together players from Mercer, Georgia State, Western Carolina, Middle Georgia State College, Georgia College & State University and Abraham Baldwin College, just to name a few. In all, more than 10 participating schools took part in the weekend festivities.
 
Aleynah Thomas led Florida A&M in Flight B1 singles, beating Western Carolina's Nathalie Marinovitch 7-5, 6-4 in the round of 16. Thomas went on to face Mercer's Kayleigh Didderiens in the quarterfinals, where she fell 6-4, 6-4.
 
Gabrielle Pierce had the most dramatic run of the weekend in Flight B2 singles.
 
She opened with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) win over Middle Georgia State's Irina Furtuna, taking command in the first set before holding off a late push in the second to close it out in a tiebreaker. In the quarterfinals, Pierce won the first set 6-3 against Georgia State's Mia Petrovic, but Petrovic answered 6-2 in the second and edged the third 7-5.
 
The Rattlers Johari Gorham advanced in Flight C singles with a 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) win over Abraham Baldwin College's Clara Roman. The second set went to a tiebreaker that Gorham won 9-7. Her run ended in the quarterfinals, where Georgia State's Sara Montano Parada won 6-4, 6-1.
 
Rounding out singles play was Amber Beautelus, also competing in Flight B2 singles, but eventually falling to Georgia College & State University's Sophia Bates 6-4, 7-5 in the round of 16 – her opening match of the weekend.
 
In doubles action, FAMU dropped both of its round of 16 matches, respectively.
 
In Flight A, Thomas and Gorham lost to Middle Georgia State's Lucile Gence and Tamanna Takoria 6-3.
 
Meanwhile, in Flight B play, Pierce and Beautelus lost to Western Carolina's Marinovitch and Thalia Smith 6-3.
 
Overall, FAMU went 3-1 in the round of 16 singles and 0-3 in the quarterfinals.
 
Two of the three quarterfinal losses came against Georgia State players, and Pierce's three-set match with Petrovic was the closest of them.
 
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