Dyer County falls to Valor Prep in TSSAA Class AA title game

Friday, October 25, 2024

Lady Choctaws finish as state runner-up

The Dyer County Lady Choctaw volleyball team poses with the TSSAA Class AA State Runner-up trophy following their four-set loss to Valor College Prep in the state championship game at Rockvale High School in Murfreesboro. The runner-up finish is the highest for a rural West Tennessee team since 2014.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

By JASON PEEVYHOUSE

Sports Editor

A rough start by the Lady Choctaws coupled with a hot opening by Valor College Prep set the tone for the TSSAA Class AA State Championship Game at Rockvale High School in Murfreesboro on Friday morning. Dyer County fought back and it took four sets for the Lady Wildcats to top the orange and white to take the state championship.

Lady Choctaw senior Ava Huke goes up for a kill against Valor College Prep during Friday's second set.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

After dropping the opening set to the Lady Wildcats to go down 0-1, the Lady Choctaws battled back in the second set. Things did not go well early as Dyer County found themselves behind 3-0 early in the second frame. But, the orange and white battled back to cut into the Valor lead and kept it close before tying the set at 8-8. The Lady Choctaws then benefitted moments later from a Valor error to take their first lead of the match at 10-9. Dyer County picked up momentum with an Emma Wray kill which lead to three straight kills from Rylee Key to put the Lady Choctaws up 16-10. Another Key kill put the Lady Choctaws on top 18-11. The Lady Wildcats, last season's runner-up, fought back and cut the lead to 23-18 later in the set. A key kill gave Dyer County set point and a long Valor serve who points later gave the Lady Choctaws a 25-20 win in the second set to tie the match at a set apiece.

But, Valor jumped out to a 3-0 lead for the third straight set before a pair of Key kills cut the Lady Wildcats' lead to 4-3. But, the VCP got on a roll as Dyer County struggled with the Lady Wildcats outscoring the Lady Choctaws 15-5 through much of the match to take the third set 25-11.

Dyer County fell behind again early but Key again provided some offense with a pair of kills to cut the Valor lead to 3-2. Valor built a five-point lead moments later and kept it to at least four until a Wray block started to give the Lady Choctaws some momentum. The Lady Choctaws tied it at 12-12 but the Lady Wildcats rallied with four straight points. Dyer County answered in kind as an ace from Wray and a kill from Key helped tied the game at 17-17. Valor, though, had been showing the ability to go on a run and did so again to build a 22-17 lead. Dyer County was able to get back within striking distance late in the match, cutting it to 24-22 before a late Lady Wildcat return fell just out of Lady Choctaw senior Teagan Reed's reach as Valor College Prep took the Class AA title.

Lady Choctaw Kennedy Hill makes a dig during state championship action.

Photo/Jason Peevyhouse

Dyer County's runner-up finish is the highest finish by a rural West Tennessee team since Trinity Christian Academy finished as the Class A runner-up in 2014.

The match began rough for the Lady Choctaws as Valor College Prep jumped out to an 8-0 lead on the strength of multiple aces. Dyer County got on the board with a Wray ace and a Key kill but Valor was able to maintain a decent lead through the early goings in the match. But, a kill from Key started a string of small runs which saw the Lady Choctaws cut it as close as 19-16 following another key kill. But, the Lady Wildcats were able to pull away and take the first set 25-19.

Dyer County finishes the 2024 season with a record of 37-9. Three Lady Choctaw seniors � Reed, Ava Huke, and Briley Abair � wrapped up their high school careers in the final game of the year. All three were members of four state tournament teams.