Kelly’s state finish matched that of sister Katie’s best singles finish as she was fourth in 2008, her senior year.
Christie and Katie did, however, place second in doubles in 2006 when Christie was a senior and Katie a sophomore. Katie did the same the following year with Nicci Dresden.
“I think it helped me so much watching them when I was little,” Kelly said of her sisters.
Eagles coach Jim Brooks vividly remembers a young Kelly playing with her toys in a small tent near the courts when her sisters played for CJ.
“She was at all the matches,” Brooks said. “At a certain point, she started hitting the ball herself, but it took a few years before she started taking the game seriously.”
Brooks was not at all surprised to see that girl playing in her third state tournament this week. Kelly had all the motivation in the world just by being a Pleiman as Katie qualified to state four times and Christie twice, the first time in 2005.
“People definitely expect you to be good which motivated me,” Kelly, 18, said. “You don’t want to be the bad Pleiman.”
After bowing out in the first round the past two seasons, Kelly’s biggest goal this year was to advance to the state semifinals. She battled to a hard-fought 6-4, 0-6, 6-1 first-round win Friday over Maddie Lynch, of Hathaway Brown, followed by a 6-4, 6-2 straight-set win over Lexington’s Sylvia Goldsmith. Mission accomplished.
“I was so motivated to get to today,” Pleiman said.
Saturday, however, proved to be much tougher for the Eagles senior as she dropped her semifinal match to eventual D-II state runner-up Nicole Gillinov, 6-0, 6-4. Pleiman then faced off against 2015 D-II state singles runner-up Emily Dunbar, of Cloverleaf. Dunbar prevailed 6-1, 6-0 to secure third place.
Losing was not a familiar feeling for Pleiman who was 32-0 in regular matches heading into Saturday – also a point of pride as Kelly is the only one of the sisters to have an undefeated season. Katie – who was at the tournament Saturday cheering on her little sister – did, however, play first singles all four years for the Eagles while Kelly played for the past three seasons.
While her high school tennis career is over, Pleiman plans to play in college although she has not chosen a school yet.
Brooks knows he has big shoes to fill as Kelly closed out the Pleiman era at CJ Saturday. The Eagles, who qualified six players to the district tournament, lose four seniors to graduation.
“Life gets tougher for me, that’s for sure,” Brooks said.
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