PHOTO: Matthew Smith
By Brian Gosset
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
gmsportsmedia2023@gmail.com
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JUSTIN – The Byron Nelson volleyball team had one of the most dominating seasons of all-time in 2024, winning the Class 6A Division 2 state championship, posting a 40-1 record and only surrendering EIGHT sets total in 41 matches. In the title game against Houston Stratford, the Bobcats didn’t allow more than 20 points in their three-set sweep.
Byron also won both their tournaments in August, taking home the titles at Ann Kang (Hawaii) and Northwest ISD Classic. Not to mention, the Bobcats finished as national champs – an award given out by MaxPreps.
Their only blemish – a loss in Hawaii against DFW neighbor Highland Park on August 16.
So can they top that?
Well, they’re headed that way.
Two weeks into the 2025 volleyball season and #1 Byron Nelson is 20-0 as of Aug. 27, which includes a pair of wins to start the District 4-6A slate (Keller Central, Southlake Carroll). The Bobcats started the month back in Hawaii and defended their Ann Kang crown. Coming back from a long flight, jet lagged and a game against Central on Tuesday Aug. 19, the team was exhausted while recovering from the Aloha State.
But that didn’t stop coach Bri Groth’s girls as they rolled once again at the 30th annual NISD Classic – capped with a two-set sweep over the aforementioned Highland Park at Northwest HS on Saturday Aug. 23.
Junior setter and Texas A&M commit Sophee Peterson was voted tourney MVP while senior Kylie Kleckner (Washington) was Offensive MVP. Those awards were flipped last season when Byron defeated Lucas Lovejoy in the final. Senior AJ Seay (Rice) and junior Savannah Sterna were on the all-tournament team.
“Highland Park is a really special team this year. They are dynamic and way big with so much size. But I’m so proud of the kids,” Groth said. “I feel like the whole tournament, we were just so solid. We weren’t too high or too low. We played some really good teams and kind of was able to execute the game plan in every set. The kids played fantastic even though they are playing so tired right now, but it was a full team effort.”
Half of Highland Park’s roster is at least 6-feet tall, including Lydia Fisher (6-5), Allie Hudgins (6-4), Sarah Floyd (6-3) and Brooklyn Bailey (6-0). But Groth mentioned playing Sierra Canyon in Hawaii – a team similar to Highland Park.
“In Hawaii, we came up against a really good Sierra Canyon team from California with very similar size as Highland Park,” Groth said. “When you go up against those big teams you really have to bring it in the serve and pass game and I feel like we really that and it takes them out of what they’re trying to do.”
Peterson, last year’s All-Area Setter Of The Year finished off eight tournament games with nearly 200 assists including 31 against Prosper Walnut Grove in the semifinals and 27 against Highland Park. She was on the all-tournament team in Hawaii along with Kleckner. Seay was tourney MVP.
“I think we really utilized our back row attack a lot which was hard for them to defend,” said Peterson, who is ranked #1 in our DFW player ranking and had 1,480 assists last season. “We were extremely focused because it was our one loss from last year.”
Against Walnut Grove, Byron Nelson trailed 24-21 in the first set before reeling off five straight for a 26-24 win.
Then the Bobcats rolled in the second set to complete the sweep.
“Coach Groth always tells us to battle,” Peterson said. “We had a bunch of first ball kills (in the second set) and we just really leaned into each other and trusted each other.”
“Winners win and we have a group of winners,” Groth added. “We refused to lose.”
Groth went on to praise Sterna, who has posted 10+ digs in four of her past six games.
“Savannah is incredible. She has been so solid and she has been by far the best libero in this tournament. She was the best libero in Hawaii,” Groth said. “Savannah doesn’t get too emotional about things, she is very consistent and she really dominated at that position during the tournament and I’m really proud of her. She’s awesome.”
Another player that had an impact was freshman middle Sasha Lanis.
“Sasha is such a great kid. The maturity she has just as a freshman and 14 year old is spectacular. I wouldn’t have put her up here if I didn’t think she couldn’t do it,” Groth said. “Playing up with a bunch of 18 year olds just shows you how much she’s prepared herself over the summer. She’s going to be a really great kid and we’re excited to have her.”
