Beechwood volleyball head coach Matt Long notched his 300th career win Tuesday, Sept. 29, against Bishop Brossart.
The milestone capped a stretch that also included Beechwood's second consecutive All "A" Classic state championship, won Sept. 18-19 in Owensboro. Long is the reigning Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association (KVCA) Girls Region 9 Coach of the Year.
The Cincinnati Enquirer's power rankings, published Wednesday, Sept. 30, detailed the milestone and noted that the Brossart match produced two individual records: senior Skylr Estep recorded her 3,000th career assist, and senior Isabel O'Brien broke the school records for career aces and kills.
The Tigers are 21-2.
Beechwood leads the Ninth Region girls' volleyball Rating Percentage Index (RPI) rankings, according to the NKY Tribune. The Tigers' dominance at the All "A" state tournament was thorough: six wins in two days, just one set dropped, and opponents held to an average of 12.6 points per set, the Enquirer reported. In the championship match, Beechwood beat Louisville Holy Cross 25-12, 23-25, 25-10.
O'Brien was named the All "A" state tournament's Most Valuable Player. Seniors Rachel Lewandowski, Macy Armstrong and Estep, along with freshman Kennedy Sturgeon, earned all-tournament honors.
After the championship in Owensboro, Long told the Cincinnati Enquirer his team was already looking ahead. "We want to get to regionals and win two rounds versus one … We've got a lot of work to do because it's not a cakewalk, either," he said on Sept. 19.
Last year's squad made history as the first Beechwood team to win the All "A" state title, finishing 33-6 and reaching as high as No. 4 in the state rankings, according to Beechwood Independent School District board minutes. Armstrong took home tournament MVP honors in 2025.
Local teams have won 12 of the 18 All "A" Classic state volleyball tournaments, the NKY Tribune reported. St. Henry leads with eight titles. Beechwood and Holy Cross each have two.
The Tigers travel to St. Henry on Thursday, Oct. 1, then host North Oldham on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
