Tag: Byron Nelson volleyball

GARLAND

As Trophy Club Byron Nelson volleyball completed a perfect season to win back-to-back state and national championships, players ran toward each other in a celebratory dogpile.

The Bobcats had a lot to be happy about — they finished 42-0 and extended their overall win streak to 78 matches, solidifying themselves as one of the best Texas high school volleyball teams of all time. In a three-set sweep, Byron Nelson defeated Pearland Dawson 25-18, 25-17, 25-19 to claim the Class 6A Division I crown Saturday at the Curtis Culwell Center.

The Bobcats will also finish No. 1 in MaxPreps’ national rankings for the second straight season.

“I’m really sad that it’s over. I think that’s the biggest emotion I have, because I think these kids are just so spectacular,” head coach Brianne Groth said. “They are great humans and great volleyball players, and I just feel so blessed.”

Groth, who recently gave birth to twin girls, missed the team’s past four contests. She credited Northwest ISD athletic director Joel Johnson superintendent Dr. Mark Foust for allowing her to return to coach the state championship.

“Kudos to these kids,” Groth said. “… Head coach goes out, you don’t skip a beat. Our varsity assistant coach, Chrissy Garcia, she is fabulous. I mean, she’s a head coach in her own right, and she just kept them going.”

In the first set, Byron Nelson tied the game at 8 on a kill from outside hitter Kylie Kleckner; that sparked a five-point run that created a lead the Bobcats maintained throughout. In the second set, Dawson (42-5) led 15-13, but Nelson won 12 of the next 14 points to secure the set.

The Bobcats trailed 10-9 in the third set, but a five-point swing gave them a lead that they maintained to record the sweep.

“If we can pass the ball, there’s nobody that can keep up with our offense, and so you know you’re going to see those runs,” Groth said. “I mean, it’s volleyball. Nobody’s perfect. And even this group isn’t perfect all the time. But I think … part of my job as a coach, and what I’ve been trying to do since the beginning of the season, is to give them a little space to work through things.”

Byron Nelson won its third overall title, with Groth also leading the program to its first in the 2019 season.

The Bobcats have made three state tournament appearances and won the title in all of them, completing a Class 6A trifecta. They first won in Class 6A before UIL split the divisions. In 2024, they won in Class 6A Division II, and now won the championship in Class 6A Division I, Texas’ largest classification.

For the season, the Bobcats dropped four total sets and one in the postseason in a bi-district match against Mansfield Lake Ridge.

They also won back-to-back District 4-6A championships, taking down some of Texas’ toughest competition such as Southlake Carroll (35-5), which won the Class 6A Division II title later Saturday.

Standout senior outside hitters Kylie Klecker tallied 21 kills and 17 digs en route to match MVP honors. Ashlyn “AJ” Seay was also a key contributor with 11 kills. Kleckner, a Washington pledge, and Seay, a Rice pledge, ended their high school volleyball careers as champions.

“Our level play is so high, but it’s really about the relationships outside of volleyball, like in the locker room and before practice, and just like the little moments, like spending time with these girls was just like the best thing ever,” Seay said.

Junior setter Sophee Peterson, a Texas A&M pledge, orchestrated the offense with 35 assists. She said a focus on consistent improvement helped create a win streak that has lasted 463 days.

“We know we’re a talented team, but we also know that there’s 1% more we can push every day in practice,” Peterson said. “And off the court, just loving on each other, being each other’s best friends and always being there for each other.”

Junior libero Savannah Sterna was a defensive force with 14 digs. At the net, sophomore Mallory McMahon was effective with a team-high four blocks. As a team, they registered 50 kills to Dawson’s 32.

Byron Nelson has dominated the competition, but it understood the thing that takes down dynasties: One bad day can be the difference-maker.

“Every game is a new game, and anything can happen,” Seay said. “So, every game, we have a mindset of just clean slate and playing every team like they’re the best team, so that we give every team our best.”

Peterson, whom Groth called the best setter in the nation, is eligible to return in 2026 as the program searches for three consecutive championships.

This story was originally published November 22, 2025 at 5:30 PM.