Prep volleyball: New BBE coach knows all about the Jaguars

May 5---- From one

graduate to another, Holly Breitbach is ready to take over the volleyball program for Brittany Borgerding.

Breitbach, formerly Thompson, was a senior and the mainstay setter in 2005 when the Jaguars went to the Class AA state tournament for the first time in school history. Belgrade made a state appearance in 1984.

Since then, BBE has advanced to seven state tournaments, the latest coming in 2025 under Borgerding, a 2013 graduate of BBE High School who was a member of the 2010 state tournament team and an All-State Honorable Mention in 2011.

With a child on the way, Borgerding, formerly Roelike, is passing the torch to Breitbach after she served as head coach for two seasons.

Breitbach enters a program that is coming off a third-place finish at the Class A state tournament, led by senior outside hitter Kacey Fischer, who was an All-State selection.

Kacey's older sister Kailey Fischer, a 2022 graduate of BBE High School and a two-year setter for Alexandria Technical and Community College, is an assistant coach. So is Josie Jensen.

"It's very exciting and it's big shoes all the way down the line," Breitbach said. "We are losing six senior players and two managers, but we have a lot of exciting things coming in and it's just a great program to be a part of. I played in it, I've coached in it for a very short time and I'm excited to be back in this role. I'm really looking forward to it."

Breitbach has stayed close to her roots since she graduated from BBE High School in 2006.

She coached C-squad in 2007 under first-year head coach Kevin Weller, who led the Jaguars to four state tournaments, the last in 2018, his final year.

Weller graduated from Belgrade High School in 1981 and was inducted into the BBE Hall of Fame in 2024.

Breitbach, who graduated from St. Cloud Technical and Community College in 2008, coached the BBE Blaze, a Junior Olympic volleyball program, for seven years.

That coaching stint came to an end when her life became too busy.

Holly married Matthew Breitbach in 2010. He graduated from BBE High School in 2006 and SCTCC in 2009.

And since, the couple has raised two children together in Belgrade.

Baron is an eighth-grader on the varsity baseball team and plays football in the fall.

Mya is a sixth-grader and three-sport athlete between girls volleyball, girls basketball and softball.

Holly also competed in the same three sports as Mya in high school.

"I'm excited to work with the athletes and give back to the program that gave so much to me," Holly said. "A lot of people — when you talk about high school — say they would never go back. If I could go back and play volleyball again, I would absolutely in a heartbeat go back and do it.

"It's something that is so special — there are still fans that come to every game that I remember sitting in the stands when I was playing 20 years ago — and it's so cool to see that support. Now, being hired on as head coach and getting the mail, the people that will stop you and congratulate you are so excited, have your back and just can't wait to see what's going to happen. It's just that full circle of being able to give back and have an impact, whether it's a handful or the whole team."