Lady Choctaws head back to the ’Boro for fourth straight season

The Lady Choctaw volleyball team jumps for joy after their three-set sweep over Millington in the TSSAA Class AA Sectional Round in Newbern on Thursday night. With the win, Dyer County advances to the TSSAA Class AA State Tournament for the fourth straight season.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

By JASON PEEVYHOUSE

Sports Editor

The Lady Choctaws wrapped up their 2024 schedule on this side of the Tennessee River the way they spent much of it before Thursday night in Newbern, with a three-set win.

This time it was in the TSSAA Class AA Sectional Round which saw Dyer County’s volleyball team take all three sets by double-figure spreads over Millington to punch their ticket to the state tournament for the fourth straight season.

This also marks the fourth straight season in which the Lady Choctaws have won every match in the first three tiers of the playoffs.

“Every minute that we’re out here on this court is worth it,” Dyer County Head Coach Shanna O’Bright said. “It’s awesome. They work so hard that I like to see them get rewarded for that.”

Millington did score first in the opening set but the Lady Choctaws scored often in the early going. A pair of Emma Wray kills as well as multiple spikes from Rylee Key and Teagan Reed put Dyer County on the path of pulling away early. Two Evie Rogers aces added to the lead as the Lady Choctaws got more kills from Reed and Wray to take the first set 25-6.

Dyer County continued that dominance into the second set as a Kierstyn Ray ace and a kill from Key helped put the Lady Choctaws up 9-0 early. The orange and white front row continued to put the ball on the floor on Millington’s side thanks to kills from Reed, Key, and Wray as well as a block and kills from Ava Huke. Dyer County took the second set 25-9.

Just one set away from the sweep, the Lady Choctaws struggled as a scrappy Lady Trojan team was able to hang with Dyer County and even lead for much of the early goings. A Wray ace put Dyer County on the for the first time and the Lady Choctaws dug themselves out of the rut, outscoring Millington 15-4 from there to take the set 25-13 while taking the match in three sets to advance to the state tournament for the fourth straight season.

“We made a few unforced errors in that third set,” O’Bright explained. “Then they put the ball on the floor a couple times and we dug ourselves in a hole.

“But, we dug ourselves out of it and I’m proud of them for that.”

Dyer County joins Crockett County as both District 13AA and Region 7AA teams won their sectional round matches on Thursday to advance to the state tournament as a pair for the second straight year.

Heading into the final eight for the fourth year in a row, O’Bright looked at the road ahead briefly before the work begins on Friday.

“We set goals for ourselves at the beginning of the season,” the Dyer County head coach said. “For a while, our goal was to finish our season in Murfreesboro.

“But, this group is very driven and determined. They want to win a state championship. We’re going to get back in the gym tomorrow and work on some things and try to make that happen for us.”

Dyer County will await the state tournament draw to find out who and when they play in the TSSAA Class AA State Tournament which begins on Tuesday at Siegel High School in Murfreesboro. The first match is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.