PVHS tennis: Anthony, Eichner qualify for state

Jace Eichner’s celebration was pretty mellow. Earning the trip to state had taken considerably more out of him than he expected.

The Pahrump Valley junior had dropped the second set of his regional quarterfinal against Adelson’s Eli Grinvald, leaving one set to decide whose season would continue at the state tournament.

Eichner had already decided it was going to be him.

“During the 3rd set, I was up 5-2 having a renewed energy because I had already mentally decided I was going to state because it was one of my goals this year,” he said in a message relayed through coach Mike Dela Rosa.

Eichner finished the job, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to secure a semifinal spot and state berth. But it took drawing upon all of his conditioning as the match lasted about 2½ hours.

“When I won, it was exciting, but I was very tired,” he said.

Return trip for two

Eichner and fellow captain Chanel Anthony will represent Pahrump Valley at the Class 3A state singles tournament Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24, at Carson High School in Carson City.

Anthony finished second and Eichner fourth at the Southern Region tournament at Bishop Gorman.

Both are returning to state. Anthony qualified in singles last year, while Eichner reached the doubles tournament as a freshman.

Anthony won her first three regional matches in straight sets to reach Saturday’s championship match.

She opened with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Adelson’s Mila Richards, then defeated seventh-seeded Merizza Fernando of American Heritage 7-5, 6-3 in Friday’s quarterfinal.

A 6-3, 6-1 semifinal victory over Boulder City’s third-seeded Abrina Soares followed Saturday before Anthony fell to top-seeded Allegra Weir of Adelson 6-0, 6-0 in the championship match.

The runner-up finish moved Anthony up one place from her third-place Southern finish last season. She will face Truckee’s Josie Tranquilla, the North’s No. 3 qualifier, in her state opener.

Anthony’s second consecutive state berth continues a tennis career that included a lengthy break. She learned the sport as a child, Dela Rosa said, then stepped away before returning when she joined the Trojans as a sophomore.

Now a senior and the girls’ captain, she has another weekend of high school tennis ahead.

Eichner began his regional run Thursday with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Virgin Valley’s Connor Aughney before facing fifth-seeded Grinvald in Friday’s quarterfinal.

After winning the opening set, Eichner lost the second 3-6. He recovered in the deciding set and reached a 40-15 lead in the final game before closing out the match.

His final two regional matches came against Boulder City players. Top-seeded Jake Richards defeated him 6-0, 6-0 in Saturday’s semifinal, and third-seeded Nathan Law won their third-place match 6-0, 6-1.

The fourth-place finish sends Eichner into a state quarterfinal against Northern champion Ross Hochberg of Incline.

His earlier state appearance came with a doubles partner during his freshman season. That pair qualified as the No. 4 seed, Dela Rosa said, while Pahrump Valley also reached the team tournament as the No. 2 seed.

This time, the boys’ captain has earned his place in singles.

Other notable results

Other Trojans picked up regional victories before their seasons ended.

Ethan Johnson upset Moapa Valley’s eighth-seeded Parker Davies 6-2, 6-1 in the opening round before losing to Jake Richards 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.

In girls’ doubles, senior Milly Khandpur and junior Nyomi Skinner beat Virgin Valley’s Emma Martinez and Joy Son 6-2, 6-3. Their first season as a doubles pairing ended in the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Boulder City’s second-seeded Quinn Gibson and Harmony Cook.

The boys’ doubles team of Brody Myers and Samson Wagner was eliminated in the opening round.

For Anthony and Eichner, preparation for state begins with recovering from the matches that got them there.

“They are working on recovering from all the matches they played,” Dela Rosa said. “We will work on fitness and form before we head up north.”

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