Fort Worth-area athlete receives Gatorade National Player of the Year honors
Byron Nelson setter Sophee Peterson received quite the surprise Thursday.
Three-time Olympic medalist April Ross presented her with the 2025 Gatorade National Player of the Year award, the highest honor for a high school volleyball player.
Peterson, a junior committed to Texas A&M, led Byron Nelson to consecutive UIL state championships. The team finished with a perfect 42-0 record in the 2025 season.
Peterson is the 50th non-senior national winner since the award was created 41 years ago — only the second in volleyball.
According to Gatorade, National Player of the Year selections have combined for 91 gold medals and 13 national championships.
“Joining the elite group of Gatorade Player of the Year alumni means being part of a community of athletes who have gone on to define their sports,” said Jennifer Schmit, senior director for Gatorade brand marketing. “Sophee [Peterson] has proven that she belongs in this group of greats, and we can’t wait to watch her continue on to greatness in the years to come.”
Legendary athletes including Peyton Manning, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Alex Rodriguez, Clayton Kershaw and more, and rising stars such as Paige Bueckers and Cooper Flagg are past Gatorade National Player of the Year selections.
According to MaxPreps, she posted 1,459 assists, 274 digs, 161 kills and 70 blocks. MaxPreps also named her the National Player of the Year and Byron Nelson finished No. 1 in MaxPreps’ national rankings.
In addition to her on-court play, Gatorade highlighted her impact off the court. Peterson has a 4.64 weighted GPA and donates her time to Byron Nelson Youth Volleyball camp as a program leader.
In the 2026 volleyball season, she’ll be eligible to return and chase three consecutive state titles with head coach Brianne Groth and the Bobcats.
This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 6:28 PM.
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