09/19/2026
Mustangs Charge Through Pool Play, Remain Perfect at 17-0
Lady Stangs advance after thrilling wins over Leslie County and Paintsville
The Brossart Mustangs continued their remarkable season Friday, winning both of their Pool A matches and advancing with a perfect 17-0 record. They play the Raceland Rams Saturday before moving to the 1 and done tournament.
The Mustangs first defeated Leslie County 25-22, 25-19, before battling the 16-2 Paintsville Tigers in a three-set thriller, 25-16, 24-26, 25-22.
With the two victories, the Mustangs are in first place in Pool A and they play Raceland today this morning to finish pool play. They moved one step closer to their goal of bringing home an ALL “A” State Championship.
Friday was a true team effort. From powerful swings and timely blocks to tremendous serving, setting and defense, the Mustangs repeatedly found ways to make the big play when they needed it most.
Mustangs Take Down Leslie County
The Mustangs wasted little time setting the tone against Leslie County.
Freshman sensation Audrey Arnold opened the match with a quick service ace, giving Brossart an early 2-0 advantage. Senior Callie Ritter, Brossart's all-time blocks leader, then hammered a kill off a set from fellow senior Aubrey Rebholz, the school's all-time assist leader, to make it 3-1.
Senior Josie Reckner delivered a much-needed service ace as the Mustangs battled through a tight opening set. With the score at 8-8, seniors Leah Robinson and Rebholz each came up with timely blocks to keep the momentum on the Brossart side.
The first set remained a battle all the way to the finish. With the score tied at 20-20, senior Haliey Heitker put away a kill from Rebholz. Ritter then unleashed one of her trademark lightning-fast attacks to make it 23-21.
The final point was a perfect example of Brossart volleyball.
Frommeyer dug it, Rebholz set it, and Ritter finished it.
The Mustangs captured the opening set 25-22.
Behind the offense was a defensive unit that refused to let the ball hit the floor. Junior Leberio Frommeyer, along with defensive specialists Reckner, Arnold and Evelyn Laker, consistently kept rallies alive and delivered the ball to the setters.
Brossart carried that momentum into the second set.
Frommeyer opened with a dig to Rebholz, who set Laker for a kill and a 2-2 tie. Ritter followed with another kill to put the Mustangs ahead 4-3.
Arnold provided a strong serve receive, allowing Rebholz to find the opening in the middle — the "donut hole" — for a point and a 10-8 lead.
Frommeyer then took over from the service line, recording an ace to push the advantage to 13-8.
Moments later, it was the familiar combination of Frommeyer to Rebholz to Ritter, with Ritter putting another ball away for a 14-8 lead. Frommeyer followed with another ace, making it 15-8.
Laker continued to provide steady serve receive, while Rebholz kept feeding Ritter for the attack. Frommeyer even added a rare kill of her own, dropping a ball into the back corner for a 17-13 advantage.
With the Mustangs at match point, Heitker delivered a kill off an Arnold dig and Rebholz assist to make it 24-17.
Leslie County committed an error on the next point, and the Mustangs finished off the match 25-19.
Mustangs Battle Paintsville in Three-Set Thriller
The second match of the day brought an entirely different challenge.
Paintsville entered the match with a 16-1 record, and the Tigers featured Kentucky's No. 1-ranked player.
The Mustangs, however, were not intimidated.
Rebholz immediately made her presence felt, coming up with a massive block against Paintsville's star player to open the match. The play brought the Brossart crowd to its feet and gave the Mustangs a 1-0 lead.
Arnold followed with two service aces, putting Brossart ahead 4-1.
Laker then put away a kill from Rebholz for a 6-4 lead, and sophomore Emma Sheanshang delivered a big kill to stretch the advantage to 10-4 and force a Paintsville timeout.
Rebholz added another block after the timeout, making it 11-4, and Arnold followed with a kill for a 12-6 lead.
A Frommeyer serve came back across the net, only to find Ritter waiting. The senior sent it right back for a kill and a 14-7 advantage.
Laker continued her strong play, putting away a kill after Reckner's serve receive went to Rebholz, making it 16-9.
Another Laker ace pushed the score to 20-13.
Heitker then took over offensively, putting down a kill off a Laker dig and Rebholz assist for a 22-14 lead. Another Heitker kill, this time following a tremendous Frommeyer dig and Rebholz set, made it 23-15.
The set ended with another familiar combination — Rebholz to Ritter — as Ritter delivered the finishing kill for a commanding 25-16 victory.
Paintsville came out fighting in the second set.
Laker was on fire early, recording consecutive kills off Rebholz assists to give Brossart a 3-2 lead. Arnold added a service ace for 4-2, and Laker followed with an ace to make it 6-3.
Another Laker kill, set up by Rebholz after a Heitker dig, pushed Brossart ahead 8-5.
Rebholz found the donut hole again for a 10-7 advantage, while Ritter later added a kill and a service ace to make it 13-10.
Reckner came through with a service ace as Paintsville battled to stay close, bringing the score to 17-16.
Frommeyer dug to Rebholz, who set Ritter for another kill, but Paintsville continued to fight.
Then came one of the defensive highlights of the match.
Frommeyer made a spectacular diving dig that sailed over the net and dropped to the floor, giving Brossart a 21-22 score.
Paintsville answered with a kill to make it 21-23, forcing Coach French to call timeout.
The timeout worked.
Coming out of the break, Frommeyer delivered an assist to Sheanshang for a huge kill, tying the set at 23-23.
Paintsville, however, managed to close out the set 26-24, forcing a decisive third set.
Mustangs Finish the Job
The deciding set opened with Paintsville taking a 2-0 lead.
But the Mustangs answered.
Ritter put Brossart on the board with a kill off a Rebholz assist following a Laker dig. Laker then delivered another kill to help Brossart take a 5-4 lead.
Rebholz came up with a timely block, and the Mustangs began to seize control.
Laker added another kill to make it 16-10, followed by an Arnold dig to Rebholz and another Ritter kill for a 17-11 advantage.
Then Ritter took over from the service line.
The senior blasted back-to-back service aces, sending the Mustangs to a 20-11 lead and igniting the Brossart side of the gym.
Robinson then joined the attack, delivering a kill off an Arnold dig and Rebholz assist for a 21-15 lead.
Paintsville refused to go away.
The Tigers trimmed the Brossart advantage to 21-18, prompting another well-timed timeout from Coach French.
Once again, the Mustangs responded.
Frommeyer provided a great serve-receive ball to Rebholz, who set Robinson for the kill and a 22-18 lead.
Then came match point.
Reckner delivered a perfect serve receive to Rebholz, who found Arnold for the kill.
Match point, Mustangs.
Brossart finished the job, winning the deciding set 25-22 and completing the three-set victory.
One Step Closer
The two wins gave the Mustangs exactly what they needed — the Pool A championship lead and another opportunity to chase an ALL “A” State Championship.
But perhaps more importantly, Friday demonstrated what has carried Brossart to a perfect 17-0 record.
It wasn't one player.
It wasn't one position.
It was everyone. This team is truly special.
The setters found the hitters. The hitters finished the points. The servers created pressure. The blockers came up with huge stops. And the defense continually turned seemingly lost points into opportunities.
Frommeyer's digs, Rebholz's setting and blocks, Ritter's powerful swings and serving, Laker's all-around play, Arnold's serving and defense, Heitker and Robinson's timely kills, Reckner's serve receive and serving, and Sheanshang's big offensive contribution all played a part.
Friday belonged to the entire Mustang team.
And at 17-0, the Lady Stangs are still running at full speed toward the ultimate prize — an ALL “A” State Championship.
