Liberty’s Colby Kelley claims Missouri state tennis championship in girls singles

Liberty High tennis player Colby Kelley made history Saturday in Springfield.

The Blue Jay senior became the first girls tennis player in school history to capture an individual state championship. Kelley defeated St. Joseph’s Academy freshman Abby Gaines 5-7, 6-3 (10-7) in the Missouri Class 2 semifinals and then beat Lafayette’s Katie Ferguson 6-4, 6-1 in the championship match at the indoor Cooper Tennis Complex.

“Words can’t describe how I feel right now,” said Kelley, who had a backhand volley winner on match point. “I’m obviously extremely happy and shocked. My final match was probably my best match of the season.”

Kelley came out on fire in the title match, winning the first four games and crafting a 40-0 lead in the fifth game.

“She (Ferguson) is an extremely strong player: she finished in the top four last year,” Kelley said. “I came out very focused.”

Things got away from Kelley for a stretch as Ferguson came back to win the fifth game and followed with three more games to even the set at 4-4. But Kelley regained the momentum by holding her serve at love to go up 5-4.

“That was probably the most important game of the match,” Kelley said.

Kelley would break Ferguson to capture the important first set.

Ferguson won the first game of the second set. But it was the last she’d take. Kelley, a University of Nebraska-Omaha recruit, closed out her brilliant career in style by winning the final six games.

Afterward, she came up from the court to the balcony and received congratulation from teammates, family and friends for a lasting memory.

“This is surreal,” said Kelley, who then moved to the awards celebration, where she became the first Blue Jay to stand atop the podium.

“Colby has been our No. 1 player for four years,” Liberty coach Pam Koch said. “Each year she played better in the postseason, and this is the pinnacle. She did not have an easy road at all and she just played awesome both days. I feel real good for her. She is always present in everything we do and is a true leader.”

Kelley’s Class 2 championship prevented a St. Louis sweep at state.

St. Louis teams won both classes Thursday. John Burroughs won the team title in Class 1 and St. Joseph’s Academy took the crown in Class 2.

St. Louis players were in seven of the eight championship matches Saturday — Kelley being the lone exception.

There were some other area players who performed well, though, especially in the consolation bracket.

St. Teresa’s doubles team of Meredith Mason and Ellen Mason had the best finish of anyone other than Kelley. The Masons finished third in Class 2 doubles after an 8-3 win over Michelle Korenfeld and Akansha Negi of Parkway Central in the third-place match.

Pembroke Hill’s Alisha Castaner and Staley’s Claire Thimgan were the only other players to advance to the semifinals. They each finished fourth in singles, Castaner in Class 1 and Thimgan in Class 2.

A consolation championship is a lofty accomplishment in its own right, as it takes four wins to claim it — the same as a state championship.

Barstow freshman Sarena Biria made quite a first impression in winning the Class 1 singles consolation championship. Biria lost in the first round to eventual champion Lily Walther of John Burroughs. She followed with four wins, losing just two games in the eight-game pro set format. Biria beat Laura Finnie of Visitation 8-1 in the consolation championship. Finnie had finished third last year.

Pembroke Hill seniors Lynne Li and Lucia Wolfe closed out their high school careers with a consolation championship in Class 1 doubles.