Call it a prediction, a hunch or a coach knowing her team.
There was no need to wait until October for Bishop Brossart volleyball coach Danielle French to believe in her team. She saw the leadership, heart and talent long before the first serve of the 2026 season.
Eventually, the players began to believe it, too. They backed up that confidence Thursday night, continuing their magical season with a 3-0 victory over George Rogers Clark (27-25, 25-22, 25-17) in the 10th Region championship on their home floor at the Seither Sports Center in Alexandria.
“I have told everyone that I’ve talked to before this season that this team is going to the state tournament. They are a region championship team,” French said. “If there’s a team to do it, it’s going to be them, and it’s because of these seniors. They have the leadership and the heart, and they led this team.”
Those seniors include Aubrey Rebholz, Sienna Studer, Josie Reckner, Hailey Heitker, Callie Ritter, Claire Decker and Leah Robinson.
“I think this just shows the leadership, and it’s all the seniors,” Ritter said. “Showing that and all of us being together, it’s just so powerful. We just communicate so well.”
For Ritter, the accolades have continued to pile up. After earning 10th Region Player of the Year honors, the senior showed why Thursday night, recording 16 kills while making her presence felt at the net with several blocks.
“It’s all really nice,” Ritter said. “This is my senior year, and I wanted to show out and wanted to accomplish everything that I could.”
Robinson was the senior named to the All-Tournament team, joined by a pair of underclassmen in sophomore Evelyn Laker and freshman Audrey Arnold.
It’s a combination that should made Brossart volleyball what it is: the leadership of a veteran senior class alongside the talent of a young group already making their mark.
Arnold made her presence felt from the opening point to the final one, recording an ace to open the match before delivering the championship-clinching kill that sent the gymnasium into a frenzy.
She finished the night with 17 kills and an ace, all while hearing the Brossart student section repeatedly remind everyone of her age with chants of “She’s a freshman!”
“It took a lot of hard work and constant practice,” Arnold said. “It feels amazing. I just feel like there’s more to come in the future and the best is waiting.”
Laker added 12 kills of her own, giving the Lady ‘Stangs another underclassman capable of making an impact on the biggest stage.
“This feels so amazing,” Laker said. “It’s so unreal and I’m so happy. I couldn’t be prouder of my team and our coaches. We’ve been playing so well together and it’s just so fun. I’m so excited to be here in the future.”
French saw the leadership and heart from her seniors and the talent of her younger players. That didn’t mean she was free of a few stressful moments on the sideline, however, even with the eventual sweep.
The opening set was anything but comfortable. Trailing 24-21, the Lady ‘Stangs fought back to tie the score at 25 before Ritter took over, recording consecutive points on a block and a kill to give Brossart the 27-25 win.
The second set brought another late challenge, with Brossart trailing 21-20. Ritter responded with four kills down the stretch to put the Lady ‘Stangs ahead 23-21. A GRC error and another Brossart kill sealed the 25-22 victory.
The third set was the Lady ‘Stangs most comfortable, with the energy inside the Seither Sports Center continuing to build.
“All the girls said they’ve never seen a student section like that,” French said. “It was amazing. The student support that came out tonight was phenomenal. It helped us win the game.”
After the teams were tied at five, Arnold delivered a kill to give Brossart a 6-5 advantage. The Lady ‘Stangs never looked back, pulling away for a 25-17 win to put the finishing touches on their first 10th Region championship since 2022.
Improving to 36-3, Bishop Brossart will now turn their attention to the state tournament, where they’ll face 9th Region champion Notre Dame in the first round Monday.
MORE PHOTOS: Provided by Will Jones/10thRegion.com
LADY ‘STANGS 3, LADY CARDINALS 0
BISHOP BROSSART — 27-25-25 — 3
GEORGE ROGERS CLARK — 25-22-17 — 0
Game Stats
Kills: Bishop Brossart 54, George Rogers Clark 34
Aces: Bishop Brossart 6, George Rogers Clark 5
Service Errors: Bishop Brossart 9, George Rogers Clark 3
Records: Bishop Brossart 36-3, George Rogers Clark 22-8
