Anthony, Eichner lead PVHS tennis into individual postseason

Pahrump Valley’s best chance to extend its tennis season may come a few players at a time.

With Chanel Anthony ranked second in the girls singles playoff field and Jace Eichner fourth among the boys, the Trojans have individual opportunities ahead even as missing players complicate their team postseason. Girls doubles partners Milly Khandpur and Nyomi Skinner are ranked seventh and still developing the partnership they hope will carry them deeper into October.

Coach Michael Dela Rosa said those players, along with additional unranked Pahrump entries, will compete Thursday of next week at Bishop Gorman High School.

The boys team playoff appearance ended Monday with a loss to Adelson. The girls were scheduled to face Virgin Valley on Tuesday, a rematch against a team they edged earlier this season.

Experience counts

For Dela Rosa, the challenge is getting enough experienced players onto the courts at the same time.

“Yes, I do have lineup and depth issues unfortunately, which will make it more challenging to win as a team,” he wrote in a text response to questions. “Yesterday’s match proved it.”

The boys faced Adelson without doubles partners Tristan and Brendan Torres and senior Bryce Dykstra. Dela Rosa said Dykstra was ineligible and identified the absences as a factor in the defeat.

Pahrump had beaten Adelson 10-8 in September. In that meeting, the Torres brothers contributed two doubles victories and Dykstra added a singles win — three points the Trojans had to find elsewhere in the postseason rematch.

The individual tournament offers another opportunity for Eichner, the junior boys captain, and a girls group led by Anthony.

The senior girls captain delivered one of Pahrump’s strongest recent performances against Boulder City, sweeping three singles sets 6-1, 6-0 and 6-0 in the Trojans’ Sept. 28 home match.

Anthony surrendered just one game all afternoon. Pahrump nevertheless lost 11-7, with three points conceded by forfeit because a player was ineligible.

The contrast illustrated the difference between producing a strong individual result and assembling enough points to win as a team. Of the 15 sets actually played, Pahrump won seven and Boulder City eight.

Anthony supplied three of those Trojan victories. Aurora Bowers added a singles win, while each of Pahrump’s three doubles pairings contributed a point.

Experience (still) counts

Dela Rosa said Anthony learned tennis at a young age, stepped away from the sport and returned when she joined the high school team as a sophomore. Now in her senior season, she continues to improve with practice, he said.

Her No. 2 ranking gives Pahrump a player near the top of the girls singles field. For Khandpur and Skinner, the opportunity comes with a partnership that remains a work in progress.

The two returning players did not compete together last season, Dela Rosa said. Khandpur is a senior, while Skinner is a junior graduating early.

“They are jelling and practicing more to get further in the individual tournament next week,” he wrote.

Tuesday’s team match against Virgin Valley offered a timely test. Dela Rosa noted that Virgin Valley’s top doubles pairing had beaten Khandpur and Skinner at the beginning of the season.

Pahrump ultimately won that earlier team meeting, although finishing it required a return trip and a tiebreaker.

The teams initially tied 9-9 before the Trojan girls won the deciding tiebreaker 38-26 to secure a 10-9 match victory.

Anthony and Bowers each swept their three singles sets in the original meeting. Khandpur and Skinner won two of three doubles sets, and Lily Gregory and Wendy Rodriguez supplied the additional win that brought Pahrump into the tie.

Those results show what the experienced players can contribute. Keeping enough of that experience available has been the harder part.

For the boys, Monday’s loss closed the team playoff opportunity. For the ranked singles players and a girls doubles pairing still learning how best to work together, another postseason test remains.

Contact sports reporter Bill Evans at wevans@pvtimes.com.