High school girls tennis: Kennett earns third straight district crown

Kennett High School freshman tennis player Olivia Rebstock sealed the Indians’ Class 1 District 1 team championship on Wednesday.

Rebstock, along with sophomores Jady Quinn and Emory Kamper, have helped fill the void for now-graduated Macy Bazzell, Carley Winston and Giselle Garcia-Gallegos.

“The three girls at the bottom of the lineup have worked really hard to help us get where we are today,” Kennett head coach Janet Hilburn said.

Kennett tennis player Jady Quinn returns a shot during the No. 3 doubles match versus Saxony Lutheran on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at the Wheatley Courts in Kennett. Quinn and partner Emory Kamper won their match, 8-5. (Photo by Eric Viccaro, staff)

Rebstock, who has played tennis for roughly 14 months now, blanked Saxony Lutheran’s Evie Caruso 6-0, 6-0 in the No. 3 singles match.

At the time, Kennett No. 2 singles player Handley McAtee was leading Abby Haley, 6-0, 5-2. The match was suspended when Rebstock earned the clinching fifth point the Indians needed to win.

The match was played using the no-ad scoring format because of impending rain that evening.

Semoball.com award-winning tennis player Handley McAtee is focused on the ball during her No. 2 singles match on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Her match was suspended at 6-0, 5-2, after the Indians secured their fifth, clinching point to win the district championship for the third consecutive year.(Photo by Eric Viccaro, staff)

Now comes the hard part for Kennett, who travels to Metro Academic and Classic High School in St. Louis for a Round of 16 match versus North County.

Last year, Kennett rallied from down 3-0 to beat North County (14-1) in the sectional quarterfinals, so the Raiders will be looking for some modicum of revenge.

“It’s going to be a tough match,” Hilburn said, “probably our toughest match all year. We are up for the challenge.”

The Kennett High School girls tennis team shows off winning the Class 1 District 1 championship at Wheatley Courts on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Here's the team: (from left) Kennett head coach Janet Hilburn, assistant coach Hanna Hunter, Jady Quinn, Emory Kamper, Olivia Rebstock, Christi Tejeda, Handley McAtee and Claire Bean (Holcomb).(Photo by Eric Viccaro, staff)

The Kennett/North County match will take place at 2:15 p.m., with the sectional quarterfinals to follow. The other half of the bracket features Ursuline Academy (8-5) and Metro School (9-3-1).

North County’s lone loss this season was to Eureka, a Class 3 program. Meanwhile, Kennett will be aiming for its 60th consecutive team-format victory.

Hilburn said the four teams playing at Metro all deserve to be among the Final Four who will compete at the Missouri State High School Activities Association state tournament set for Saturday, Oct. 21, at Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield.

Kennett’s No. 1 doubles team of Claire Bean (Holcomb) and McAtee had a slow start, but still topped Maggie Hillin and Haley, 8-1.

Christi Tejeda and Rebstock claimed an 8-5 victory over Caruso and Addie Thomason in the No. 2 doubles match.

Quinn and Kamper dominated the No. 3 doubles match early, and hung on for an 8-5 conquest over Tali Renshaw and Katya Rust.

Bean continues her mastery at No. 1 singles for Kennett, smothering Hillin 6-0, 6-0, for Kennett’s fourth point.

Today

Individual Tournament

Kennett will compete in the individual sectional tournament beginning at 10 a.m., today, at The Wheatley Courts.

Tejeda will square off against Gracie Lawson from Potosi for the right to compete at next weekend’s MSHSAA state individual tournament in Springfield.

Bean and McAtee will face Elaina Jo Elder and Tori Krebs, also from Potosi, in the doubles match.

Rebstock takes on Lucy Pace from North County in another singles contest.