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The 2024 high school volleyball season tipped off on Monday night with a pair of marquee match-ups in the DFW metroplex.
In Flower Mound, last year’s District 6-6A champ took on Byron Nelson, but the Bobcats came in and ruined the home opener with a 25-14, 25-16, 25-16 win.
“It was really good volleyball from us for a first match,” said BN coach Bri Groth, who returned 11 players from last season. “Very smooth, but I think that speaks from experience. We really harped this last off season and summer on keeping the ball in play, making sure we’re not giving up too many errors and I thought the girls did a really good job on that. We had some newbies in there doing a really good job, but the oldies and vets – they did their jobs so it was good win.”
Byron (1-0) will get on a plane Tuesday morning and travel Hawaii for the Ann Kang Invitational at Iolani HS in Honolulu. Flower Mound (0-1) will go to the Battle of the Rock in Rockwall. The Jaguars will also travel to Allen on Tuesday night.
The two teams have given us several playoff classics – matching up in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
On Monday, Byron got out to an early lead thanks to outside hitter Kylie Kleckner, who committed to Washington over the summer. The lead went to five (9-4) on a kill from the right side by Lexi Proctor. The Bobcats doubled up the Jags at 16-8 with back-to-back kills by Rice commit AJ Seay, who led the team in kills last season.
Byron Nelson went 32-5 in 2023, third in 4-6A and reached the regional quarterfinals. Flower Mound reached the regional semifinals. The Jags moved over one this fall to District 5-6A.
Audrey Jackson (Texas beach commit) scored through the Byron block for the Flower Mound point later in the opening set. Liz Goodspeed also scored a few rallies later, but Bobcats sophomore setter Sophee Peterson got a point on an overpass and FM picked up a hitting error to end the first.
The Jags scored the first three points in the second set only to see Byron answer with a 10-3 run. Goodspeed registered a block to pull FM within 11-6. Geli St. Laurent also got a solo block and the Byron lead was 14-8. The Bobcats extended their lead to 18-11 before Flower Mound scored four straight to cut the deficit to three.
However, Peterson scored two points on a kill and block to help BN pull away for a 2-0 lead. A Kleckner kill off the FM touch put Byron on top 4-1 in the third. Jackson tied it at 5 and Hayden Curtis and Caitlyn Axton got the Jags within 11-8.
Kleckner added one more kill before the Bobcats wrapped it up in straight sets.
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COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE 3, PROSPER 2
In a showdown between 2023 state semifinalists, it was the Heritage Panthers who out-lasted the Eagles and spoiled Toree Winchell’s debut with Prosper on Monday night, 25-16, 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, 15-12.
CHHS reached state in back-to-back seasons and hit 40 wins for the third straight year. The Panthers won the 5A title in 2022. Prosper went to the 6A tournament for the first time, but lost to eventual champ Spring Grand Oaks in five sets.
Ashlee McCormick stepped away after one season and Winchell took over – coming from Gunter and leading the Tigers to the 3A championship match.
Four Panthers had double-doubles led by BYU commit 2025 Suli Davis, who is the #2 ranked player in the country and #2 ranked player by GM Sports Media. Davis finished off with 33 kills on a 0.303 clip and 26 digs. Davis was first in DFW last season with a 0.455 hitting percentage and second with 793 kills.
Sophomore setter Claire Bundy finished with 29 assists and 14 digs while Audrey Popp added 10 kills and 20 digs. Libero Sarah Mendoza, who committed to Central Florida this summer, was second on the team with 23 digs. Maddie Yearian went for 23 assists and 12 digs.
CHHS will travel alongside Byron Nelson to Hawaii for this weekend’s tournament. Highland Park and Aubrey are the other two teams from DFW that are going to the Aloha State.
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SCORES
Brewer 3, Lake Worth 0
Midway 3, Red Oak 1
Stephenville 3, Granbury 1
Aledo 3, Liberty Christian 0
Red Oak 3, Robinson 0
Frisco Heritage 3, Little Elm 1
Royse City 3, Prairiland 0
Royse City 3, Caddo Mills 0
