There’s a quote emblazoned on the gymnasium wall at Byron Nelson that reads: “Winners are a different breed of cat.”

Byron Nelson showed it’s a different breed from any other volleyball team in Dallas and the area’s best bet to win a state title in a dominant 3-0 win over Keller on Tuesday night.

In a matchup of The Dallas Morning News’ top ranked teams, Byron Nelson (30-1, 11-0 District 4-6A), which is ranked first in the nation by MaxPreps, swept Keller (24-3, 11-1) for the second time this year, this time in front of its home crowd. The Bobcats played like they were a class above their opponent in every phase of the game and put the rest of the Dallas area on notice, as if it wasn’t already.

“The first time we played Keller, it was a complete win,” Byron Nelson head coach Brianne Barker-Groth said after the match. “This time, it was a dominant, complete win. That’s what we’re looking for, to get better and better during the year.”

Byron Nelson flexed its power right away, winning the first set 25-10 in just 12 minutes. Outside hitter Ashlyn Seay had seven kills and dialed up a jump serve on the final point. Setter Sophee Peterson sealed the set with an emphatic block at the net.

The Bobcats turned up the heat even more in the second set, with Seay and outside hitter Kylie Kleckner, a Washington pledge, tallying three kills each. Middle blocker Rayvyn Thomas also made her presence felt, coming up with several big blocks and spikes as Byron Nelson cruised 25-14.

Keller challenged the home team more in the third set, but Byron Nelson found a way to keep rallies alive and finish the points. With the set tied at 9, Kleckner made a diving play to her left to save a ball going out of bounds, and Seay then hit a cross-court smash to put the Bobcats in front. They never relinquished the lead and won the set 25-16.

This match is always enticing for followers of Dallas-area volleyball because Barker-Groth’s sister, Danielle Barker-Spivey, is Keller’s coach. The two teams also have some history, as Keller knocked Byron Nelson out of the playoffs last year in the regional quarterfinals in a five set thriller.

“Anytime we play Keller, it’s an extra level of intensity you don’t get with a lot of other teams,” Barker-Groth said. “With it being my sister on the other side, she knows me and how I coach so well, and there is a lot of strategy going back and forth making in-game adjustments. It’s a lot harder, but it’s fun.”

Byron Nelson is trying to become the first Dallas-area team to win a 6A state title since 2019, when Byron Nelson defeated Plano West. Barker-Groth believes District 4-6A is the most competitive district in the state this year, and that playing in it as the No. 1 team in the country will make the Bobcats even better in the postseason.

“You don’t get a night off. It’s night in and night out,” she said. “But playing in this district prepares us for the playoffs, to go in and face a more challenging team every time we hit a new round.”

Barker-Groth wasn’t shy about her aspirations for the 2024 version of Byron Nelson, either.

“I think this team might be a more complete team than 2019,” she said.

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