“We’re extremely proud of her” — junior represents tennis at 3A state playoffs
For many high school coaches, the push for a state playoff berth can overshadow the joy of the sport itself.
But for Pahrump Valley High School tennis program director Michael Dela Rosa, that wasn’t the case this season.
Throughout the year, Dela Rosa could be found court-side, sporting his trademark grin as he watched his players compete, grow and ultimately send one of their own to the Class 3A girls state singles playoffs.
Heading back to Bishop Gorman High School once more, the Trojans were represented by their sole remaining singles junior, Chanel Anthony.
Anthony, who dominated much of the regular season with multiple sweeps, put up a valiant fight in her opening-round match but fell just short against Churchill County’s Jeanna Lee, 2-6, 6-4, 2-6.
After dropping the first set, Anthony stormed back to take the second 6-4 before narrowly losing the third in a tight contest that closed out her high school career.
Despite Anthony not advancing further in the Class 3A State Girls Singles Playoffs, Chanel represented Pahrump’s fighting underdog spirit and capped off her high school career.
“She fought extremely hard but ultimately came up short in the end due to battling a couple of issues,” head coach Michael Dela Rosa said. “I couldn’t be prouder of my team this season. We went on the road and faced some of the best competition in the state this season while most importantly, having fun.”
Finding Balance
The Trojans’ season wasn’t without its challenges. With several athletes involved in Student Council and other extracurricular activities, Dela Rosa said consistent practice time was often hard to come by.
“I’ve got a lot of well-rounded kids — not just athletes, but strong students involved in a few activities. Unfortunately, that means they can’t always dedicate themselves to tennis the same way players from other schools can,” Dela Rosa said.
Heading into next season, coach said he is looking to tighten up his practices to help push his team to capture a state title.
“I don’t like being strict, but I have to to tighten things up,” Dela Rosa said. “We could have made state this year as both squads had the potential but didn’t practice enough. I do my best, spending five hours out there splitting groups so everyone gets reps, but until we get more courts, practice time will always be tight.”
His program emphasis will shift to focus more on conditioning to avoid player fatigue late in matches.
“A lot of them take tough academic classes. With tennis — all the practices and matches — they miss some of those classes, and the teachers don’t really cut them any slack. So they’ve got to do homework whenever they can. It’s hard,” Dela Rosa said. “Losing sucks, but losing teaches you stuff. If you want to be state champs, you’ll know where to find us.”
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
