Usually, it's the airplanes that make that racket in South Fulton. This week, the racket is on the court and the ball bounces with a different flavor.

From Sept. 18 to 21, tennis teams representing Historically Black Colleges and Universities are in Georgia to compete in the National Tennis Championships.

It's the 24th year of the tournament, which has nearly 250 players competing in singles and doubles, and the hometown team is playing to win.

At the South Fulton Tennis Center, Clark Atlanta University women's tennis coach Daisha Reed watched her players warm up.

"We've actually come out here to practice several times in preparation for this event. So having it at home, I guess it would give us an advantage if we look at it the right way," Reed said.

Howard University tennis coach Nicholas Askew likened the tournament to a family reunion.

"It's like a cookout. It's a lot of catching up," he said. It's a lot of talking about some of the history of the HBCUs and the programs, names, and some of the different historic matches that have been played here."

Tennis is a non-revenue building sport that is suffering at some major colleges due to financial concerns. A few HBCUs have halted their tennis teams. The Howard University team is back in South Fulton after missing the event for several years.

"We did a lot of fundraising," Askew said. "We look forward to having Morehouse back and some of the other HBCUs coming back and being able to make it possible for their student athletes and coaches to come and compete at this amazing tournament."

You can learn more about the tournament and see a calendar of events here.