Dyer County downs Upperman in state quarterfinals

 




Jason Peevyhouse

Editor, JP Productions Sports


The Choctaw volleyball team is one win away from returning to the TSSAA Class AA State Championship Game as Dyer County defeated Upperman in straight sets in the quarterfinals on Tuesday evening at Rockvale High School in Murfreesboro.

It may have been a sign of things to come as the Lady Bees were unable to return Choctaw libero Evie Rogers’ opening serve to give the junior an ace and a quick Dyer County lead. Upperman, like Dyer County, won both its district and region championships en route to the state tournament and battled back. The Choctaws were able to get a block and a kill from Rylee Key as well as an ace from the senior front row player to go along with a block from Kierstyn Ray and an Emma Wray kill to build a 10-6 lead.

Upperman rallied to tie the game at 10-10 before Dyer County answered with a quick run punctuated by a Zoey Morris kill. The Lady Bees cut it to two before Dyer County went non an 8-2 run with kills from Key and Katie Beth Caldwell to build a 24-13 lead on the way to a 25-15 win in the first set.

Much like the first set, Dyer County and Upperman battled back and forth at the start of the second frame. Ray had an ace and Blair Acree had a block and a kill to help keep the Choctaws just ahead of the Lady Bees. Following an Emma Wray block later in the set was followed by a trio of Key aces to build a 19-14 lead for Dyer County.


Upperman still had fight left as the Lady Bees were able to cut the deficit to 20-18. Again, Dyer County had an answer as a Wray kill was followed moments later by a Katie Beth Caldwell kill and a Key block on the way to a 25-21 win in the second by Dyer County.

Despite an early Key kill, Dyer County trailed early until Key added another spike and Wray followed with a kill of her own to tie the game at 5-5. Moments later, an Acree kill put the Choctaws up 9-7. Upperman battled back to tie the game at 11-11.

Dyer County answered with a Caldwell kill and back-to-back kills from Key and a Morris ace to give the Choctaws some breathing room. The breathing room went away briefly as the Lady Bees cut the lead back to 17-16. An Acree kill set Dyer County on a 6-0 run which also saw her add a block and another kill before a Wray ace capped the spree and put Dyer County on top 23-17. Upperman fought off match point for a couple moments before a Key kill ended the night for the Lady Bees and put Dyer County into the semifinals with a 25-19 win in the third set.


With the win, Dyer County will face Creek Wood in the TSSAA Class AA Semifinals on Wednesday at noon at Rockvale High School in Murfreesboro. The Red Hawks defeated Chuckey-Doak in the quarterfinals in three sets. The winner of tomorrow’s semifinals will face the winner of Valor Prep and Crockett County in the TSSAA Class AA State Championship Game on Friday at 4 p.m. at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

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