Dyer County outlasts Creek Wood to advance to state championship game

 




Jason Peevyhouse

Editor, JP Productions Sports

Though homecoming is this week for Dyer County High School, the Choctaw volleyball team has their Friday evening booked as the orange and white fought through a scrappy and resilient Creek Wood team in four sets to advance to the TSSAA Class AA State Championship Game.

The Choctaws had the momentum going into the opening set thanks to a kill from Zoey Morris and tips from Rylee Key and Katie Beth Caldwell. Moments later, Key added a block, tip and a kill to help Dyer County take a 10-3 lead which led to a Creek Wood time out.


But, with Key rotating out of the game following a Lady Red Hawk point, Creek Wood took advantage. The Lady Red Hawks went on a 9-1 run to tie the game at 12-12. The Choctaws battled back with a Caldwell kill to take a 15-12 lead before the Lady Red Hawks rallied to tie the game again at 15-15. After the Lady Red Hawks retook the lead, the Choctaws nearly fell further behind after being called for playing out of rotation. However, the call was overturned then Erin Foster had a kill to tie the game at 17-17.

Dyer County was able to build a two-point lead after a Caldwell kill but Creek Wood rallied to retake the lead before an Emma Wray kill tied the game at 21-21. The Lady Red Hawks answered to retake the lead but a Blair Acree tip and a Foster block put Dyer County up 23-22. The Lady Red Hawks were able to end strong and take the first set 25-23.


The Choctaws came out strong again in the second set as a block and a kill from Key helped Dyer County take an 8-0 lead early. Again, Creek Wood stormed back, cutting deep into orange and white’s lead before Dyer County took a timeout with a 13-9 lead. Dyer County was able to get the ball back and push its lead to 16-11 after an unforced error by the Lady Red Hawks. The Choctaws were able to build an 18-12 lead before a Creek Wood time out.

After a Key kill put Dyer County up 19-14, the Lady Red Hawks began another rally with the senior hitter rotating off the court. The Red Hawks trimmed the deficit to 19-18 before the Dyer County Head Coach Shanna O’Bright called another timeout. The momentum stayed with Creek Wood coming out of the timeout as the Lady Red Hawks took a brief lead before Dyer County tied it at 20-20. Both teams battled back and forth with Wray kills tying it twice.

A Key kill tied the game at 23-23 then a Morris ace put Dyer County at set point before a Key kill gave the Choctaws a 25-23 win in the second set.


The Choctaws jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the third set thanks to blocks from Caldwell and Key. Dyer County then added a kill and another block from Key to help take a 7-2 lead. But, as they had done through the first two sets, Creek Wood battled back and nipped at the Choctaws heels before tying the game at 11-11. A Key kill proved to be a sign of things to come in the third set as it put Dyer County back on top. Though the Red Hawks tied the game at 13-13 moments later, Foster put the Choctaws back on top with a kill at 14-13. From there, Dyer County outscored Creek Wood 11-1 with a kill from Caldwell and seven from Key, including the clinching point to give the Choctaws a 25-14 win in the third set.


The Choctaws took control at the start of the fourth set, getting three kills from Key to take a 6-4 lead. The Dyer County lead eventually built to 12-6 before Creek Wood stormed back and forced the Choctaws to take a timeout with the orange and white on top 16-15. A Wray kill helped the Choctaws some breathing room up 18-15 before Creek Wood was able to cut back into Dyer County’s lead. But, Dyer County answered the bell, getting the momentum back before taking the fourth and deciding set 25-20 over the scrappy and resilient.

The win puts Dyer County in the Class AA State Championship Game for the second straight season. The Choctaws become the first team in Dyer County school history to make consecutive championship game appearances.

Dyer County will face Valor Prep in a rematch of last year’s Class AA State Championship Game. The two teams will have a day off on Thursday before taking the court at 4 p.m. to decide the 2025 TSSAA Class AA State Champions. The game will be played at the Murphy Center on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

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