There was no one key player in Mexico's 6-2 win over Kirksville in the first round of the team district playoff on Wednesday.

Rather, it was a team of volunteers wielding brooms, squeegees and leaf blowers who toiled for several hours to prepare the courts at the Fairgrounds Park Netplex after a morning of rain.

"I just want to thank everyone who came out to help clean the water off the courts," said head coach Kim Costley with obvious gratitude.

Once the surface was playable, the Bulldogs jumped out to a big lead thanks to a sweep in the doubles round. The team districts format hands the overall victory to the first squad that reaches five match wins.

Shelby Kennemore and Katie Gooch dropped the Tigers' top duo of Gracie Riemenschneider and Maren Elmore 8-2. Jocelyn Garcia and Estrella Lopez knocked off Brynn Williams and Stremel Slaughter 8-1.

Lily Yager and Winona Whelan took a little longer, but they held off Madisynn Crawford and Anna Eitel 8-5. And just like that, Mexico was up 3-0, needing just two singles wins to advance to the finals.

Yager, Lopez and Garcia took care of the rest. Their matches wrapped up almost simultaneously, giving the Bulldogs a 6 on the scoreboard.

Yager shut out Crawford in the first set but had to battle in the second before claiming it 6-0, 6-4. Meanwhile Lopez outlasted Williams in a tight one, 6-4, 6-4.

Garcia dispatched Eitel 6-2, 6-1.

Whelan lost in two, but the opener went back and forth. Gooch's match could have gone either way. In the end she fell in three.

Kennemore was still playing when the contest was decided.

The Bulldogs traveled to Palmyra on Thursday for the championship round.

Mexico fares well in individual districts, Kennemore advances

All six Bulldogs earned All-District honors and Shelby Kennemore took second in singles play, advancing to sectionals, in the rain-delayed tournament held at Fairgrounds Park Nextplex on Monday.

"It's quite an accomplishment as a team," observed head coach Kim Costley. Mexico also swept individual conference honors last week.

Kennemore took two from Kirksville's Marin Elmore in the first round and also closed out Moberly's Kristyn Kruse in the semifinals.

In the finale Kennemore was pitted against Gracie Riemenschneider of Kirksville. The opener was a see-saw affair until the Tigers number one pulled ahead 6-4. Kennemore tried to keep pace in the second, but fell 6-2.

Her second place qualified Kennemore for the next round of postseason play, which was scheduled for Friday.

Katie Gooch also ran afoul of Riemenschneider. After blanking Richmond's Taylor McGlothlin in round one, she lost a hard-fought 6-3, 6-2 match to the eventual champion.

Gooch rebounded to knock off Kruse to finish third.

Also picking up bronze for the Bulldogs was the team of Jocelyn Garcia and Estrella Lopez. The always dangerous duo readily handled a team from Moberly then lost to Palmyra.

In the third place match they squared off against familiar faces -- Mexico's Lily Yager and Winona Whelan, who cruised over Kirksville's pair but also fell to Palmyra.

It was a close battle, but Garcia and Lopez prevailed 8-4.

District play was originally scheduled for Saturday, but rain put things off until Monday.