Girls Tennis: Rebstock, Johnson lift Kennett to victory

Kennett High School freshman Olivia Rebstock found herself down 6-5 in an eight-game pro-set against Ella Montgomery from Jackson.

That’s when longtime head coach Janet Hilburn had a talk with Rebstock.

“I told her to keep fighting,” Hilburn said in a post-event interview. “I told her to keep the ball in play and not to get frustrated.”

Rebstock faced an opponent with a bit more experience — Montgomery is a sophomore — and a playing style fitting of a human backboard.

In the end, Rebstock claimed an 8-6 victory at No. 3 singles, which propelled Kennett to a 5-4 victory over a tough group from Jackson. The Indians haven’t lost a dual since Oct. 6, 2020, versus Cape Notre Dame Regional.

Maddi Johnson, playing in the No. 6 singles slot, also pulled through with an 8-6 victory.

Johnson’s match versus Tessa Quade featured plenty of pendulum-like swings before Maddi won the final three games to prevail. It gave Kennett a big point, but that’s what one should expect from a senior leader.

Kennett’s lineup will stabilize once senior Christi Tejeda returns to the lineup. Tejeda is currently fulfilling 14 MSHSAA-required practice days. She spent 10 weeks in basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in mid-Missouri.

Traditional standouts Claire Bean and Handley McAtee continued to shine at the top of the Indian ledger.

Bean and McAtee won No. 1 and No. 2 singles matches over Caroline Selzer and

Bailey Rees, respectively. The pair also defeated Selzer and Montgomery at No. 1 doubles. All three results featured bagel outcomes.

Kennett plays at Dexter on Tuesday, Sept. 5, with the first serve set for 4 p.m. Other events next week are set for Sikeston (singles, Thursday, Sept. 7) and Cape Central (doubles, Friday, Sept. 8).