Dyer County powers past Bolivar to advance to region championship

Dyer County's Erin Foster goes up for a kill during the third set of the Lady Choctaw sweep in the Region 7AA Semifinal on Monday in Bolivar.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

By JASON PEEVYHOUSE

Sports Editor

Dyer County opened the Region 7AA Tournament on the road on Monday night taking just under an hour to sweep District 14AA runner-up Bolivar on the Lady Tigers’ home court in the tournament semifinals.

The win puts the orange and white in the Region 7AA Championship Game for the fourth time in as many years. With Crockett County defeating Lakeland Prep in the second semifinal later on Monday evening in Bolivar, the Lady Choctaws will host Crockett County in the region championship game on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. in Newbern.

The Lady Choctaws jumped out to a dominating start early on during Monday night’s win. Dyer County got a Kierstyn Ray ace as well as kills from Rylee Key and Erin Foster to go along with an Emma Wray block to take a 10-0 lead. After Bolivar finally got onto the board, the Lady Choctaws got a pair of Wray aces and kills from Key and Teagan Reed to extend the lead to 15-1. The Lady Tigers got a little momentary momentum to keep the lead at 15 late in the frame before a Reed kill and a Briley Abair ace ended the first set with a 25-5 Dyer County win.

Dyer County jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second set after a Ray kill. The lead swelled moments later to 14-4. Blair Acree added a kill later in the second frame as the Lady Chcotaws took the second set 25-8 after an Ella Rain Crawford kill.

For the only time on Monday, Bolivar was able to keep things close early in the third set. The Lady Tigers answered kills from Acree, Key, Reed and Foster as well as a Wray ace with points to keep the game tied at 6-6.

But, Dyer County dominated the final moments of the match, getting kills from Ava Huke, Reed and Zoey Morris to go along with a trio of Abair aces to account for a 16-0 run to end the set and claim the match with a 25-7 win.

The winner of Tuesday’s region championship game will host a Class AA Sectional match on Thursday while the region runner-up will travel to the Region 8AA champion in another sectional match.