Kennett's Hilburn and Sparks advance to state playoffs in doubles

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Kennett's Anna Kay Hilburn and Darby Sparks moved one step closer to advancing to the state tournament Saturday when they placed second in doubles at the Class 1, District 1, girls tennis individual tournament at Notre Dame Regional High School.

12 doubles teams competed in bracket-play at the district tournament. Hilburn-Sparks received a first-round bye because they were seeded in the top four teams.

Hilburn-Sparks defeated Sikeston's Jordan Powell and Ali Price 6-1, 6-2, in their quarterfinal contest. Hilburn-Sparks beat Dexter's Alison Jarrell and Kendra Stevenson 6-1, 6-3, in the semifinals. Notre Dame's Carly Hopkins and Reagan Kapp beat Hilburn-Sparks 6-4, 6-1, in the doubles district championship.

The teams finishing first and second qualify for the state playoffs. Therefore, Hilburn-Sparks and Hopkins-Kapp both advance to postseason play. Hilburn-Sparks will play their next playoff match Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Potosi, Mo. Their opponent was not available at press deadline.

Four other Kennett players came up one win shy of advancing to the state playoffs.

Kennett's Kate White and Kelsey Washburn received a first-round bye before defeating Dexter's Makayla Waldner and Katelyn Frazier 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, in a quarterfinal match. Hopkins-Kapp eliminated White-Washburn from postseason play with a 6-2, 6-0, semifinal victory.

Kennett's Alexa McPherson and Kara Heeb were among the 12 participants who competed in singles competition at the Class 1, District 1, tournament at Notre Dame.

McPherson beat Caruthersville's Flora Ibarra 6-1, 6-0, in her first-round match. McPherson won her quarterfinal game against Charleston's Dazique Gillespie 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 before suffering a 6-1, 6-1, loss to Sikeston's Kelsey Dial in the semifinals. Dial went on to win the individual competition when she beat Dexter's Bailey Cooper 7-5, 6-2, in the district final.

Heeb received a first-round bye before defeating Notre Dame's Adele Soutar 6-4, 7-5, in the quarterfinals. Heeb was eliminated in the singles bracket when she suffered a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, loss to Dexter's Cooper in the semifinals.

White, Washburn, Heeb and McPherson's season has not ended, however. The Kennett tennis team advanced to the Class 1 team state playoffs when it beat Notre Dame 5-2 on Oct. 3 to win its sixth straight district title.

Kennett (17-1) will take on North County (11-2) in a Class 1 state sectional Saturday at 1 p.m. Lutheran South (10-7) will play Crossroads College Preparatory (5-8) in the other Class 1 state sectional Saturday at 10 a.m.

The winner of the Kennett-North County match will play the winner of the Crossroads College Preparatory-Lutheran South match Saturday afternoon in the state quarterfinals at approximately 5 p.m.. The winner of the state quarterfinal match will advance to the state final four in Springfield, Mo.

Saturday's state sectional and quarterfinal games will take place at Steel Shop Tennis Club in St. Charles, Mo.

Lutheran South beat Kennett 5-4 in a Class 1 state quarterfinal contest in 2011 and defeated Kennett 5-1 in a Class 1 state sectional game in 2010.

View all results provided from Saturday individual district tournament at Notre Dame Regional High School below:

Class 1, District 1, Doubles Tournament Results

First Round

Carly Hopkins-Reagan Kapp (Notre Dame) received bye

Geena Hooper-Emma Ferrell (Sikeston) def. Logan Darnell-Alexa Hays (Caruthersville)

Kate White-Kelsey Washburn (Kennett) received bye

Makayla Waldner-Katelyn Frazier (Dexter) def. Gabbi Brewer-Lexi Jones (Charleston)

Anna Unterreiner-Maddie Walker (Notre Dame) def. Hannah Bishop-Chara Moore (Caruthersville)

Alison Jarrell-Kendra Stevenson (Dexter) received bye

Jordan Powell-Ali Price (Sikeston) def. Samantha Risius-Madelyn Nally (Charleston)

Anna Kay Hilburn-Darby Sparks (Kennett) received bye

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Quarterfinals

Hopkins-Kapp (ND) def. Hooper-Ferrell (S) 6-1, 6-1

White-Washburn (K) def. Waldner-Frazier (D) 6-1,4-6, 7-5

Jarrell-Stevenson (D) def. Unterreiner-Walker (ND) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)

Hilburn-Sparks (K) def. Powell-Price (S) 6-1, 6-2

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Semifinals

Hopkins-Kapp (ND) def. White-Washburn (K) 6-2, 6-0

Hilburn-Sparks (K) def. Jarrell-Stevenson (D) 6-1, 6-3

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Championship

Hopkins-Kapp (ND) def. Hilburn-Sparks (K) 6-4, 6-1

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Class 1, District 1, Singles Tournament Results

First Round

Kelsey Dial (Sikeston) receives bye

Taylor Owens (Dexter) def. Emily Young (Notre Dame) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

Dazique Gillespie (Charleston) received bye

Alexa McPherson (Kennett) def. Flora Ibarra (Caruthersville) 6-1, 6-0

Adele Soutar (Notre Dame) def. Brittany Travis (Caruthersville) 6-1, 6-0

Kara Heeb (Kennett) received bye

Martha Neel (Sikeston) def. Catherine Small (Charleston)

Bailey Cooper (Dexter) received bye

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Quarterfinals

Dial (S) def. Owens (D) 6-0, 6-0

McPherson (K) def. Gillespie (C) 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4

Heeb (K) def. Soutar (ND) 6-4, 7-5

Cooper (D) def. Neel (S) 6-1, 6-1

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Semifinals

Dial (S) def. McPherson (K) 6-1, 6-1

Cooper (D) def. Heeb (K) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

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Championship

Dial (S) def. Cooper (D) 7-5, 6-2