Lady Tribe finishes strong to finish as district runner-up

Photo provided
The Kennett Lady Indians tennis team finished second at the district tournament on Wednesday. Pictured are (from left) Brianna Burcham, Vickie Panousis, Alexandra Brown, Caroline Shetley, Mallory Lancaster and Yiota Panousis.

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"Your team loses all their varsity players, you work to rebuild this year's team -- and at the end of the season you go to districts hoping to compete with the others," Kennett coach Janet Hilburn said.

While the year started rough with the Lady Tribe losing its first three contests, it ended much differently as Kennett capped a late-season surge by finishing second at the Class 1, District 1 Tournament here Wednesday and sending three players -- Alexandra Brown and twins Vickie and Yiota Panousis -- to the state meet later this month.

Hilburn was elated afterwards.

"We made an aggressive run to a respectable second-place finish and sent three people to the state championships," said Hilburn. "Wow! What a day."

Brown led the way by winning the singles district title, the second Lady Tribe player to do so in as many years.

Brown, the No. 3 seed in the district, dominated her early matches, then took a 6-4, 6-3 win over top-seeded Hannah Gant from West Plains in the finals to bring home the title.

"Alexandra had a great day, " Hilburn said. "She worked hard in all of her matches and outsmarted her opponent."

Meanwhile in doubles play, Panousis and Panousis advanced to the finals before dropping a 6-3, 6-2 decision in the finals.

"Vickie and Yiota worked great today as a team," said Hilburn. "Each match they jumped out in the lead and never looked back. They played well in the finals but came up a little on the short end."

In team play, Kennett finished the tournament second to Charleston with 24 points to Charleston's 27 1/2. West Plains was third with 17 1/2.

In other Kennett matches at districts, eighth-seeded Brianna Burcham won her first match 6-1, 6-2 over Arcadia Valley's Alyssa Waddell before falling 7-5, 6-2 to Gant in the quarterfinals. In doubles play, the team of Shetley and Lancaster lost 6-1, 6-2 in the first round.

"I was pleased with the whole effort of the team," said Hilburn. "It took everyone to finish in second place."

The Lady Indians host West Plains in a Class 1 regional match Tuesday at Wheatley Courts at 10:30 a.m. with the winner advancing to sectionals.