BLUFF CITY – Following a runner-up finish in last week’s District 1-AA tournament, Chuckey-Doak returned to regional play for the first time since 2016, taking the floor Monday evening at Sullivan East in the opening round of the Region 1-AA Volleyball Tournament.
The Lady Knights faced District 2-AA champion Volunteer, with a spot in the regional finals — and a berth to the state sectionals — on the line, the Lady Black Knights picked up a 3-0 sweep, 25-22, 25-18, 25-13.
It will be the first time Chuckey-Doak volleyball has appeared in the region finals since 1994, and will be its third ever state sectional appearance.
An emotional Chuckey-Doak coach, Marissa Snapp, summed up her postgame feelings after the 3-0 sweep in one word, thankful.
“I am so very thankful and blessed for this opportunity to coach these girls and watch them grow,” Snapp said. “They are amazing and have continued to progress as the season has gone along. Just when I think they’ve reached their peak, they keep surpassing every goal we set.”
The opening set was a back-and-forth battle with neither team able to pull away. The largest lead for either side was three points (Chuckey-Doak 9–6, Volunteer 19–16), and the score was tied ten times before the Lady Knights finally prevailed, 25–22, to take a 1–0 match lead.
“Winning that first set was huge,” Snapp emphasized. “It really sets the tone and lets you go into the next set with more confidence and energy.”
The Lady Knights carried that momentum into the second set. Behind kills from Jacey Taylor and Isabelle Karricker, and service aces from Addison Pruitt and Chloe Kirkpatrick, Chuckey-Doak jumped ahead 8–3 and extended the lead to 20–12 before finishing off the set 25–18 to go up 2–0.
In the third and final set, Chuckey-Doak broke a 1–1 tie with a strong service run to go up 5–1. After a brief Volunteer rally, the Lady Knights surged again to take a 9–2 lead and never looked back, closing out the match 25–13 to secure the sweep and a rematch with Sullivan East in Tuesday’s regional championship.
Looking ahead, Snapp said her team knows the challenge that awaits. “Sullivan East has a really big front line, and their defense has improved throughout the season,” she noted. “We’re going to have to work hard to place the ball where they’re not if we want to be successful.”
The Chuckey-Doak volleyball squad stamped their ticket to Sectionals on Thursday with a 3-0 sweep over Volunteer on Monday night. Hear from Coach Marissa Snapp herself and how the Lady Knights got the job done. pic.twitter.com/NYNylYxNnj
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) October 14, 2025
