Pahrump Valley High School tennis players Chanel Anthony and Jace Eichner represented the Trojans at the state tournament in Carson City Oct. 23–24, with Anthony bringing home a third-place finish in girls’ singles.
The two state qualifiers received a sendoff from the high school Thursday, Oct. 22, with the Nye County Sheriff’s Office accompanying them to the edge of town as they began their trip north. The tournament opened with quarterfinal matches Friday, followed by the remaining rounds Saturday.
Eichner entered the boys’ singles bracket as the South’s No. 4 seed, drawing the North’s top seed, Ross Hochberg of Incline, in the quarterfinals. Eichner lost in straight sets, ending his tournament appearance in the opening round. His state qualification gave him the opportunity to represent Pahrump against one of the North’s leading players.
Anthony, the South’s No. 2 seed in girls’ singles, opened against Josie Tranquilla of Truckee, the North’s No. 3 seed. Anthony won both sets by matching 6-3 scores to advance to Saturday’s semifinals.
That victory set up a meeting with the North’s No. 1 seed, Shea Johnson of South Tahoe. Anthony lost in straight sets, moving into the third-place match for one final opportunity to earn a spot among the tournament’s top three finishers.
Facing Lakshana Kannan of Debbie Smith CTE Academy, Anthony returned to the win column with a 6-2, 6-1 victory. She dropped just three games across the two sets to secure third place and close her state tournament with her second win of the weekend.
For Pahrump Valley, the trip capped the season with two players competing at the state level and Anthony earning a place among Nevada’s top three in her singles bracket. Both Eichner and Anthony carried the Trojans’ season beyond regional competition, representing their school on the state stage.
