Dyer County falls to Valor Prep in Class AA State Championship Game

 




Jason Peevyhouse

Editor, JP Productions Sports

Dyer County’s quest for a first-ever state championship in a female sport came to an end on Friday afternoon in the Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro as Valor Prep defeated the Choctaws in three sets to take the TSSAA Class AA State Championship for the second year in a row.


Valor was able to jump out in front but nowhere near as much as during last year’s championship game which saw the Wildcats just out 8-0. This time, it was only a two-point Valor lead before Dyer County got on the board. The Choctaws were able to stay on the Wildcats as an Emma Wray kill cut the Valor lead to 8-4.

Valor was able to build its lead back to 10-5 but Dyer County continued to fight as a kill from Katie Beth Caldwell and two more by Rylee Key cut deep into the Valor lead, trimming the deficit to 11-9. The Wildcats built their lead back to four before the Choctaws battled back again as a Caldwell kill and a Key ace helped cut the Valor lead back to 16-14.


The Wildcats were finally able to put a long scoring run together thanks to a trio of aces as Valor outscored Dyer County 8-1 to get to set point. Dyer County inched closer thanks to an Evie Rogers as before a late kill gave Valor the 25-18 win in the first set.  

Valor jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second set until a pair of Key kills helped cut the Wildcat lead to 6-4. Valor responded with four points around another Key kill to take a 10-5 lead. Dyer County battled back again, this time cutting the deficit to 11-9 for the second straight set. The Choctaws stayed within striking distance but Valor slowly built its lead up before going on a 5-0 run to get to set point. A Key kill stopped the run and set off a string of four straight points, leading to a Valor timeout. The Wildcats responded with a well-placed tip to get the final point of the set and win 25-19.


Dyer County was able to gain some traction early in the third set after taking their first lead of the day and stayed close early on. But, as they had done during the previous two sets, the Wildcats slowly built their lead despite a kill from Wray and errors of their own. Valor was able to built its lead to eight points before a Key kill cut into the lead and helped trim the deficit to 20-14 after a Wray kill. But, Valor put the game away with a 5-2 scoring stretch to defeat Dyer County 25-16 for the second straight season.

The loss ends Dyer County’s season with a record of 38-8 and as the TSSAA Class AA Runner-up for the second straight season.

Valor was the only team over the past two state tournaments to defeat Dyer County.  

The loss also brings an end to the high school careers of Choctaw seniors Erin Foster, Kennedy Hill, Rylee Key and Emma Wray.

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