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THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022
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A8
Pendleton’s Corbett is getting her shot at state
Olivia Corbett
heads to 5A state
tennis tournament
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
P
ENDLETON —
Olivia Corbett was
in the seventh grade
when she begged her
mom Liz for a hot pink tennis
racket. She was only two
years into her tennis career,
but no matter where she was
on the courts, you could fi nd
her.
Corbett has since upgraded
her racket a couple of times
since she gave up the pink one
after her freshman year, but
now it’s her game that draws
you to her matches, not her
racket.
The Pendleton senior will
play in her fi rst 5A state tour-
nament after winning the
Intermountain Conference
district singles title May 12 in
Redmond.
“I’m really excited,”
Corbett said. “I’m seeded
third in state, which is cool,
especially not being able to
compete at district last year
or the year before. I went as a
freshman, but that’s the only
district experience I had.”
The 5A state tournament
will be Saturday and Sunday,
May 20-21, at the Portland
Tennis Center. The cham-
pionship matches will be
Saturday at the Tualatin Hills
Tennis Center in Beaverton.
It’s the fi rst state tourna-
ment since 2019 because of
the coronavirus pandemic.
Corbett (13-3) will open
play at 8 a.m. Friday against
Andrea Khieu of Silverton.
“The goal is to go out and
play my game,” Corbett said.
“If you play nervous, you
aren’t going to play your best
tennis. It’s an exciting thing to
make it in the fi rst place. I’m
going to enjoy it and be happy
with the results.”
Corbett is the fi rst district
champion Pendleton coach
Rocky Dillenburg has had in
his 18 years at the helm. He
has had plenty of players go
to state, just not as district
champs.
“I have never had a player
or doubles team win district,”
Dillenburg said. “Over that
18 years, we have been in
diff erent conferences, play-
ing against really good kids.
It will be a good adventure for
her. She’s seeded third, which
is a nice honor. She’s a good
player. She hits the ball well
and plays within herself. If
she plays the way she can, she
should do pretty well.”
Corbett, who was seeded
third at district, won her title
with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over
Naya Lewis of Redmond. She
also beat No. 2-ranked Chloe
Scherner of Redmond 7-5,
1-6, 10-8.
Corbett and her team-
mates have had a tough go of
things trying to prepare for
matches this spring with the
ever-changing weather, but
the North East Tennis Center,
which has indoor courts, has
been accommodating when
needed.
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
Pendleton’s Olivia Corbett returns the ball while playing
Kylee Rost, of Ridgeview, on May 4, 2022. She plays in her
fi rst 5A state tournament Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21,
at the Portland Tennis Center.
“It’s just two courts, but we
are honestly so lucky to have
that facility,” Corbett said.
Tennis was not
her fi rst sport
Corbett grew up play-
ing basketball and soccer,
and she played on the Bucks
basketball team that fi nished
third in the IMC this year.
“I got into tennis in the
fifth grade with a junior
tennis program that Rocky
put on with the high school-
ers,” Corbett said. “I decided
I wanted to give it a shot, and
I really liked it. I wasn’t able
to play competitively until the
seventh grade.”
She upgraded her racket
her sophomore year, then
again a few months later.
“I started doing lessons
with Marcus James (in Pend-
leton) and he suggested I go
with a racket with a heavier
head,” Corbett said. “The
fi rst day, my wrist was abso-
lutely killing me. I hit with a
lot more power now.”
Opponents also have to
be wary of her forehand and
serve.
“My goal is to use my
weapons as often as possi-
ble,” she said. “If I make the
right choice I won’t be sprint-
ing around trying to get to my
forehand. My serve is good,
but throughout the match
they tend to get used to your
serve and it isn’t as big a
weapon.”
Corbett’s dad, Robb
Corbett, Pendleton city
manager, played a little tennis
in high school, and every once
in a while the family members
grab their rackets and play a
few sets.
“I love doing that,” Olivia
Corbett said.
Corbett’s parents will be
part of her fan bases at state,
along with two of her team-
mates, Annie Bostwick and
Milee Smith.
“Rocky is letting them
come along to keep me
company and cheer me on,”
Corbett said. “It will be
great.”
Corbett plans on attend-
ing Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College in the fall. The
school does not have a tennis
team, but she’s looking into
THURSDAY, MAY 19
FRIDAY, MAY 20
Prep softball
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Tennis
Pendleton at 5A state tournament,
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Prep baseball
Pendleton at La Grande, 4 p.m.
Trinidad Mendoza, who
made it to the semifi nals of the
Special District 4 tournament
before fi nishing fourth, will
compete in singles for River-
side. He will face Cameron
Getz of Oregon Episcopal in
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I n doubles, U lises
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fi nished third at district, beat-
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