The obvious question about Lake Forest’s Kiley Rabjohns is what does the rising junior do for an encore?
“I am just going to try to have a really good season with my teammates and not really think about the end results until I get there,” she said.
As a sophomore last year, Rabjohns completed one of the most dominant individual performances by a girls tennis player in state history. She did not drop a set in posting a 30-0 record.
She punctuated her standout run with an impressive 6-3, 6-2 victory over West Aurora’s Maria Goheen in the Class AA state singles championship match.
Rabjohns became the first individual state champion in program history. She also powered the Scouts to a second-place finish in Class AA behind Hinsdale Central.
In the state championship match, the weather was vicious, with swirling and ferocious winds. The end of the match was marked by hail smashing on the court.
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A great player in her own right who was part of a state doubles championship the year before, Goheen could not match Rabjohns’s blend of savvy, poise and shotmaking prowess.
“She is as mentally locked in as she is physically and that is a rare combination,” Lake Forest coach Denise Murphy said. “She is physically dominating and mentally she never gives in.
“At the higher level, you look for the little breaks that you can make your opponent question if they can be victorious. She never questions herself.”
Rabjohns made an instant impact by finishing fifth in the singles bracket as a freshman.
Her defensive-oriented game is hard to replicate. A right-handed player, she has the ability to deploy deep on the baseline and get virtually anywhere on the court.
“I am not the most aggressive player offensively,” Rabjohns said. “I try to use a lot of variety and mix it up and not really hit the same shot more than a few times in a row. I try to be pretty consistent.”
She started playing competitive tennis at age 5. She also played soccer and lacrosse growing up. Tennis is the one that stuck.
Not resting on her laurels, she has honed her game this summer playing against elite national competition as part of the USTA national tour in both U-16 and U-18 events.
“She is not looking for accolades or the spotlight,” Murphy said. “She is very humble. She has put a lot of time and effort into her game. Every win is for the team and not her own personal glory.”
Playing for the Scouts will become more personal for Rabjohns with the official start of practice on Aug. 12. Her younger sister, Autumn, a skilled talent in her own right, is set to join the varsity.
“A lot of tennis is all individual,” Rabjohns said. “You are usually not with so many people. When I am competing on a team, I feel like it is so much more fun. We hang out off the court and we cheer each other on.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.