PHOTO: Matthew Smith
BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
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HALTOM CITY – Byron Nelson was about to lose the second set on Saturday against Cy Ranch – trailing 23-19 that would have tied the match at one set apiece, but the Bobcats called a timeout which led to a furious rally.
The #1 team in the nation scored six straight points to steal the set over the Mustangs – highlighting a 25-19, 25-23, 25-16 victory during a Class 6A D1 state semifinal at Thomas Coliseum.
Byron Nelson (41-0) will take on Pearland Dawson (42-5) in the 6A D1 final at 4 pm Saturday Nov. 22 at Culwell Center in Garland – and looking to make history.
Dawson defeated Northside O’Connor 25-19, 22-25, 22-25, 25-22, 16-14 on Saturday.
One more win for the Bobcats and they will join Houston Clear Lake as the only UIL teams in the largest classification to win back-to-back titles while dropping just one match over two years. Byron Nelson went 40-1 last season capped with a sweep over Houston Stratford in the 6A D2 champ game.
Clear Lake went 36-0 in 1983 and 34-1 in 1984, according to WFAA.
The Bobcats quickly went up 10, 16-6 in the first set fueled by multiple Cy Ranch errors and kills from their top hitters Kylie Kleckner, AJ Seay and Lexi Proctor. Kleckner (Washington) and Seay (Rice) signed their letters of intent earlier in the week.
Byron got a free ball in a later rally and Kleckner hit a hard kill after a set from 2027 Texas A&M commit Sophee Peterson to give the Bobcats a 20-11 lead.
Peterson is rated the #1 player this season in the DFW metroplex.
The Bobcats had to call a timeout after the Mustangs went on a 5-0 run. After the stoppage, Byron scored when Kleckner blocked a kill attempt to make it 21-16. Proctor had back-to-back kills to help push Byron to a 1-0 advantage.
Proctor, a senior, finished with four kills, six digs and one ace.
Cy Ranch, winners of District 16-6A, ends at 39-9. It was the program’s first time in the state semifinals.
The Mustangs gave Byron a scare in the second set. After an early 9-5 deficit, Cy Ranch tied it at 12 and then even took a 17-15 lead. The lead went to 19-16 and 21-18, which were both answered with kills from Seay and Kleckner.
Byron called a timeout trailing 23-19, but Cy Ranch couldn’t score another point as Peterson scored on a dump for a 25-23 win and 2-0 margin.
“The girls are so special,” assistant coach Chrissy Garcia said. “Our theme is no one better than this team and I fully believe that there isn’t another group better than this group.”
Garcia, who has been taking on head coaching responsibilities the past three matches, has been assistant coach under Brianne Groth for the last six years. Groth recently gave birth to beautiful twin girls and is on maternity leave, but is expected to return to her normal duties vs Dawson next Saturday.
“We have won on our composure and strength this season. I called a timeout and we talked about how we weren’t going to lose this set,” Garcia said about falling behind in the second. “The confidence and mentality of our kids was what won it for us.”
Peterson posted 50 assists, seven digs and six kills.
It was her fifth 50-assist game of the season.
Peterson is averaging nearly 50 assists through five playoff games. The Bobcats came into the day having eliminated Mansfield Lake Ridge, Midland, Allen and Plano East for the Region 1 title.
Three aces early in the third set – one from Proctor and two by Seay – pushed Byron to a 6-3 lead. Middle Kherynton Chinnis, who had nine kills scored off the touch and then the lead went to 10-5 to force a timeout.
Cy Ranch called its final timeout down 17-9 when Peterson scored on another dump.
The Mustangs closed the deficit to three with seven of the next nine points, but the air ran out – sending a defeated squad back home 250 miles south.
Kleckner and Seay paced the Byron offense with 17 and 15 kills, respectively and both recorded a double-double (17 digs for Kleckner, 16 digs for Seay). Starting libero Savannah Sterna added 16 digs herself.
