Bishop Brossart has been to 16 previous state All “A” girls volleyball tournaments, while Beechwood has only been to one.
The 10th Region champion Lady ‘Stangs and Ninth Region-winning Tigers will represent Northern Kentucky when the 2025 small-school tournament begins Friday in Owensboro. They seek something neither team has done – an All “A” state championship.
Beechwood came closest to winning the title in 2015, finishing second to Louisville Presentation Academy. Brossart reached the semifinals in 2010, the quarterfinals in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2021 and 2023 and took the bronze medal in 2009.
The tournament begins Friday with four-team pool play. Beechwood’s pool includes Eminence, Bethlehem and Louisville Holy Cross, while Brossart has Ballard Memorial, Kentucky Country Day and Sayre. Each team will play two games Friday evening and then one on Saturday morning against the other three teams in the pool.
The top two teams in each pool then advance to a single-elimination tournament on Saturday afternoon with the champion determined later in the day.
Bishop Brossart
When it comes to small-school volleyball, it’s easy being Brossart’s forest green – Calvary Christian’s win in 2018 is the only time Bishop Brossart missed the state All “A.”
“We only won one (state All “A”) game last year,” third-year-coach Danielle French said. “We’re really strong and really pushing team support and supporting your teammates, no matter what.”
Junior Aubrey Rebholz likes the difference.
“I feel like we’re working together more,” Rebholz said. “And I feel like we’re definitely a lot faster now.”
Rebholz has 323 assists this season; For her career, she has over 2,000 assists and more than 500 digs.
The Lady ‘Stangs are also stressing defense.
“I’ve gotten a lot of compliments from other coaches on my defense and how we don’t let anything hit the floor, and my back row players are just all over the court,” French said. “They are diving, and they go after every ball, and there’s very few balls that we let hit the ground.”
Sophomore Grace Frommeyer’s 185 digs leads the team, and freshman Evelyn Laker is next with 136.
Brossart has a strong front line, too. Junior middle blocker Callie Ritter has 138 kills and 97 blocks, including 86 solos.
“Her blocking is definitely a lot stronger this year,” French said. “She’s always been a great blocker, but I think that she really worked hard in the office and clubs and doing some private training. And her blocking is just spectacular this year.”
Beechwood
The Tigers’ 9-1 start is the best since an 8-2 start in 2015 – the only other time Beechwood appeared at the All “A” state tournament. Third-year coach Matt Long said the team has thought a lot about that.
“And I think it’s something that has been a goal of ours for the past couple of years, and I think we have a decent chance this year if we can … pull together as a team,” Long said.
Beechwood’s season-opening 5-0 run included a 3-0 win over defending regular-season 10th Region champion Scott. After a 2-1 loss to St. Henry Aug. 23 in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Tigers’ four-game streak included wins over Holy Cross, Dayton, Newport Central Catholic and Brossart.
Juniors Macy Armstrong and Isabel O’Brien had 14 and 12 kills, respectively, in the win against Brossart. O’Brien had 15 digs, and junior Skylr Estep added 38 assists.
O’Brien’s 85 kills leads the team. Junior Rachel Lewandowski is next with 62, junior Macy Armstrong has 60, and senior Isabel Bakker has 54.
“I’d say it’s pretty consistent passing,” said Estep, who has 245 of the team’s 287 assists.
O’Brien, whose 64 digs are second to senior Maggie Dawson’s 98, said being an undersized hitter (she stands 5 feet, 7 inches) isn’t a detriment.
“I really do focus on my shots,” O’Brien said. “ … But, on our side, when the ball’s a little off, I try and shoot it places that they might not be ready for. So I feel like that’s what really contributes to the success of the front line, and I have to give credit to a lot of the other hitters on my team as well, because they’re doing a great job at that as well.”
The top two teams in each of four pools advance to Saturday’s championship round, while the other two go to the Bronze consolation bracket. Which means Beechwood and Brossart could meet for the second time this season; the Tigers won, 3-0 (25-21, 25-14, 25-12) Sept. 2 in Alexandria.
“I think we could go for a rematch again,” Ritter said.
THE FIELD
Beechwood is the highest ranked team in the field, according to the latest Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association poll. The Tigers are ranked No. 15, Louisville Holy Cross is the only other team ranked at No. 18. Eight-time All “A” state champion St. Henry opted out of the tournament this year.
The whole field consists of:
Pool A: Ballard Memorial, Kentucky Country Day, Bishop Brossart, Sayre
Pool B: Bethelehem, Holy Cross (Louisville), Eminence, Beechwood
Pool C: Owensboro Catholic, Metcalfe County, Trinity Christian, Shelby Valley
Pool D: Heritage Christian, Williamsburg, Knott County Central, Raceland
