Pahrump Valley High School tennis 2025

The Pahrump Valley High School tennis team traveled to Bishop Gorman High School last Friday to show the Gaels what the program has to offer.

In their second non-league match of the season, the Trojans looked a lot more settled in and comfortable on the court than in their previous season road opener match against Liberty High School.

Ultimately falling after a long, hard-fought charge to one of the top tennis programs in the state, Trojans head coach Michael Dela Rosa said he was very proud of the program’s effort.

“I told them to just come in here and have some fun,” Dela Rosa said. “They all played hard and gave everything they had. They learned a lot from this match and are already focused on improving for our league match-ups.”

The boys team put together a strong performance, tallying six total points. Surprising Bishop Gorman, the Trojans took the first-round set from the Gaels by a score of 4-2, forcing the Gaels to amplify their match-up game plan.

Doubles pair Bryce Dykstra and Juan Carlos Rodriguez led the charge with two set wins. In singles, each player won a set, earning a point apiece. Meanwhile, duo Ethan Johnson and Nick Watson chipped in with another point by winning one set in very gritty doubles match.

Rackets were tossed and emotions were high as the Trojans came to play.

“They competed well across the board,” Dela Rosa said. “What really stood out was their attitude and sportsmanship — they stayed positive and supported each other all the way through.”

For the girls, the standout doubles duo of Layla Burnell and Milly Khandpur led the way with two set victories, contributing two crucial points. In singles, Chanel Anthony added another point with a determined win of her own. Despite falling just short overall, the team presented a strong resilience and work ethic throughout the match.

Despite the challenges of facing a top Class 5A opponent, both teams walked away from the match with valuable lessons and a clear understanding of where they need to grow.

“We schedule top tennis programs so we can learn about where we are as individual players and as a team,” Dela Rosa said. “That experience helps sharpen us — as iron sharpens iron — so we can be successful in our league matches.”

Winning set results: Boys (Loss, 12-6)

Lucas Johnson defeated Jackson Holder in his first-round singles set 7-5
Sonny Skinner defeated Nicholas Quintero in his first-round singles set 6-2.
Jace Eichner defeated Mason Poelmans in his first-round singles set 6-3.
Ethan Johnson and Nick Watson defeated Ryan Rounani and Ryan Thayer-Pham in their first-round doubles set 7-5.
Bryce Dykstra and Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Ortiz defeated Boden Levasseur and Henry White in their second-round doubles set 6-1.
Bryce Dykstra and Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Ortiz defeated Ryan Rounani and Ryan Thayer-Pham in their third-round doubles set 6-3.

Winning set results: Girls (Loss, 15-3)

Layla Burnell and Milly Khandpur defeated Riley Rezaei and Elisabeth Bommanto 6-4 in their second-round doubles match.
Chanel Anthony defeated Aryanna Maini in her third-round singles set 6-1
Layla Burnell and Milly Khandpur defeated Samantha Stern and Emily Clarke in their third-round doubles set 6-3.

With that mindset, the teams now turn their attention to league play as they are set to take on Virgin Valley on the road Friday at 3 p.m.

Virgin Valley High School is located at 820 Valley View Dr. in Mesquite.

Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.