Dallas, TX
Byron Nelson sweeps Keller in battle of top-ranked Dallas-area volleyball teams
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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DALLAS – A Dallas Police investigation into a double homicide continues after the suspected gunman was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Mesquite, authorities announced.
Double murder-suicide investigation
What we know:
Dallas officers responded to a shooting call in the 15800 block of El Estado Drive in Far North Dallas at 2:40 p.m. on December 11, 2025. The preliminary investigation determined that two people had been shot.
The victims were identified as 24-year-old Arlina Sander, who died at the scene, and 27-year-old Darvilease Washington, who was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
Detectives quickly identified a possible suspect and a suspect vehicle registered in Mesquite. As Dallas detectives prepared an arrest warrant, they were notified by the Mesquite Police Department about a shooting in that city.
Suspect found dead in Mesquite
The suspect in the El Estado homicides was found dead in the 1000 block of Craig Drive in Mesquite, having suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect’s vehicle was found in the driveway.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner has identified the man as 44-year-old Jonathan Lakill Mantoy Jones. His time of death was just after 5 p.m., according to the M.E. report.
What we don’t know:
The motives and circumstances surrounding the offense are still under investigation.
Dallas Police ask anyone with information to contact Detective Paul Johnson at 469-271-6328 or via email at paul.johnson@dallaspolice.gov.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Dallas Police Department.
After a gloomy Saturday, cold temperatures moved through Dallas-Fort Worth through the evening, though the area is expected to see some sunshine on Sunday.
Temperatures are forecast to reach a high near 43 on Sunday with early morning wind chills in the 20s or lower for parts of North Texas, according to the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office.
Nighttime temperatures are likely to drop to a below-freezing 28, with wind gusts calming down in the evening after reaching as high as 30 mph during the day.
The coming week is expected to be somewhat sunny, barring some cloud cover during the night.
Starting Tuesday, the weather is supposed to get warmer with daytime temperatures in the 60s and 70s.
The latest Dallas weather forecast from KXAS-TV (NBC5):
SUNDAY (HANUKKAH BEGINS): Partly sunny, breezy and much colder. High: 44. Wind: N 10-20 mph.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny and chilly. Low: 28. High: 53. Wind: SE 5-10 mph.
TUESDAY: Mixture of sun and clouds, mild. Low: 43. High: 63. Wind: S 10-15 mph.
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny and warmer. Low: 53. High: 71. Wind: S 10-20 mph.
THURSDAY: Plenty of sunshine, warm. Low: 56. High: 71. Wind: N 5-10 mph.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and pleasant. Low: 47. High: 67. Wind: SE 5-10 mph.
The BMW Dallas Marathon is in full swing this weekend. Events started Friday night and will run through Sunday.
Saturday morning included a 10K, 5K, and the kids’ 100-meter dash, but Sunday is the big day so many runners have been training for.
From young runners to older runners, thousands participated in Saturday’s events, including one of Santa’s elves.
“Santa made me work today,” said John Schmidt, who participated in the 5K dressed as Santa’s finest.
Myrna Besley came from Colorado to jog the BMW Dallas Marathon 5K on Saturday morning, pushing her grandson along the way.
“My daughter is a runner, we do this to go along with her, she’s way ahead of us, and she’ll be running in the marathon tomorrow,” Besley said.
Teachers Caroline Menzia and Emma Gayle took a break from the classroom to hit the pavement.
“We work hard every day in our job, and I don’t know, we wanted to push ourselves outside of our work, to do something for us that we can accomplish,” said Menzia.
Organizers said while a lot goes into planning this event, it’s important for runners to enjoy the journey it’s taken to get here.
“Have some fun, smile, it’s hard, getting to the finish line is not easy,” Jason Schuchard, president of the BMW Dallas Marathon, said. “But just relax, trust your training, and just remember to smile.”
If you’re one of the thousands of runners running on Sunday, organizers said to arrive early, stay hydrated, and stay warm.
“Come early, park early, make yourself comfortable, you don’t want to stress out,” said Dr. Logan Sherman, chairman of the BMW Dallas Marathon. “It’s going to be cold, so bundle up and any clothes or any items you want to discard before you get to the start, please know that you can discard it on the side of the corral right before you’re about to take off.”
There will be many road closures in Downtown Dallas on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit: https://dallasmarathon.com/.
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