Girls tennis team advances to state as players vie for regional titles

(Boulder City Review file photo) Junior Lillian Mikkelson, seen playing in September, will play in the regional semifinals at 3 p.m. today, Oct. 20, at Bishop Gorman High School.

Boulder City High School’s girls tennis team will represent Southern Nevada as the No. 2 seed at state this year, clinching its fifth consecutive berth.

Despite falling to The Meadows 14-4 on Friday in the 3A Southern Region final, the Lady Eagles will compete at state Oct. 27-29 at Plumas Tennis Center in Reno.

“We have gone five years in a row now,” said girls head coach Jami Pappas. “Every year I say this is the year because my girls work so hard and by the time state rolls around I feel confident in each and every one of my players. They dig in and do what needs to be done to make sure we get to state every year.”

Fighting against the Mustangs in the regional final, juniors Lillian Mikkelson and Emma Wood and sophomore Sydnee Freeman were each able to pick up a win in singles play.

In doubles play, the duo of seniors Ella Morris and Callie Torgesen was also able to pick up a victory.

Unable to make it out of the semifinals, the boys fell to rival Moapa Valley 12-6 on Oct. 13.

Earning points for the boys, the senior doubles duo of Josh Miller and Jeremy Spencer won a pair of games, while the freshman duo of Bennet Forney and Lars Litjens added a point.

In singles play, senior Ike Pappas won a pair of games and senior Tyler Lemmel added a point.

Having better luck in individual play, the duo of Lemmel and Pappas have reached the regional semifinals where they’ll face off against Moapa Valley’s duo of Aidan Johnson and Marcus Leavitt at 3 p.m. today, Oct. 20, at Bishop Gorman High School.

Making their way through the quarterfinals, Lemmel and Pappas defeated Moapa Valley’s duo of Dalton Marshall and Kael Freeman in a pair of sets 6-1, 6-0.

“I am extremely proud of Ike and Tyler,” said boys head coach Rachelle Huxford. “They have worked all season with the goal of going to the individual portion at state.”

Finding their own success in the individual portion, the doubles duo of junior Julia Carmichael and sophomore Chayce Larson reached today’s, Oct. 20, semifinals, along with Mikkelson in singles play.

Battling till the end, Carmichael and Larson defeated Pahrump Valley’s Vanessa Sherard and Zion Sutton 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.

“They came ready to move on to state and I could not be more proud,” Jami Pappas said. “Julia told me at the beginning of the season, ‘I want my name on one of those state plaques’ that hang on our courts year-round. She worked so hard this year to make that happen with Chayce.”

Battling in a nail-biter in singles play, Mikkelson outlasted Virgin Valley’s Brynn Andrus in a third and final set, winning 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.

“Lillian’s match was a nail-biter but not once did I lose faith in her ability to stay mentally tough and fight,” Jami Pappas said. “She fought like she needed to beat Brynn and in the third set, she settled into the match and jumped ahead.”

Playing today, Oct. 20, at Bishop Gorman, Mikkelson will face The Meadows’ Sophia Yang, while Carmichael and Larson will face The Meadows’ duo of Elle Behkor and Elizabeth Donaldson.

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.