Bermudian Players Advance In CIAA Tennis Games
Bermudians Airez Gilbert-Simons, Nadhira Durham, and Alexcie Burrows featured prominently in the quarter-final round of the 2026 CIAA Women’s Tennis Championships, with two advancing to the semi-finals following dominant team performances.
The trio represented their respective colleges in the knockout stage as Johnson C. Smith University and Virginia State University secured sweeps to move forward in the tournament.
Johnson C. Smith University 4, Elizabeth City State University 0
The morning session was highlighted by a head-to-head matchup between Bermudians, as Gilbert-Simons’ Johnson C. Smith squad defeated Durham’s Elizabeth City State Vikings.
The Golden Bulls secured the doubles point early. Durham and partner Reichel Freytes fell 6-1 to Maykayla Ramos and Divila Manneni in their flight.
In singles play, Durham competed at the No. 2 position against Farah Elshahat. Durham lost the first set 6-2 and trailed 3-2 in the second set when the match was halted. Gilbert-Simons provided the clinching point for the Golden Bulls at the No. 5 singles spot, defeating Kennedy Rollins 6-1, 6-2 to guarantee her team a spot in the final four.
Virginia State University 4, Winston-Salem State University 0
Alexcie Burrows helped lead the Virginia State Trojans to a decisive victory over Winston-Salem State.
Burrows contributed to the doubles point at the No. 3 position, where she and partner Damita Bollers earned a 6-1 win over Briana Drew and Dezaire Black-Macon.
In the singles portion, Burrows competed at the No. 5 spot. She won the opening set 6-2 and held a 3-2 lead in the second set against her opponent before the match was called once the Trojans reached the four points required for the team win.
