When one Jaguar steps down, another steps up. Holly Breitbach, a proud BBE graduate and former standout setter, is taking the reins of the volleyball program from Brittany Borgerding—a move that feels less like a coaching change and more like a passing of the torch between two athletes who know what it means to wear the Jaguars jersey.
Breitbach—then Holly Thompson—was the senior setter and heartbeat of the 2005 team that made school history by reaching the Class AA state tournament for the first time. (Belgrade had last seen state action in 1984, so this was a big deal.) Since that breakthrough, BBE has become a state tournament regular, making seven appearances, the most recent in 2025 under Borgerding, a 2013 BBE grad who earned All-State Honorable Mention in 2011 and played on the 2010 state tournament squad.
With a child on the way, Borgerding is handing over a program that just took third place at the Class A state tournament—and a roster anchored by senior outside hitter Kacey Fischer, an All-State selection. The support system is strong: Kacey's older sister Kailey Fischer (BBE Class of 2022 and a two-year setter at Alexandria Technical and Community College) joins Josie Jensen as an assistant coach.
"It's very exciting, and it's big shoes all the way down the line," Breitbach said. "We're losing six seniors and two managers, but we have a lot of exciting things coming in. It's just a great program to be a part of. I played in it, I've coached in it for a short time, and I'm excited to be back in this role. I'm really looking forward to it."
Breitbach's roots run deep. After graduating from BBE in 2006, she coached C-squad in 2007 under Kevin Weller, who led the Jaguars to four state tournaments (the last in 2018) and was inducted into the BBE Hall of Fame in 2024. She also spent seven years coaching the BBE Blaze, a Junior Olympic volleyball program, before life got too busy.
Life has a way of coming full circle. Holly married Matthew Breitbach (BBE Class of 2006) in 2010, and they've raised two children in Belgrade. Son Baron is an eighth-grader on the varsity baseball team and plays football. Daughter Mya is a sixth-grader and three-sport athlete in volleyball, basketball, and softball—the same sports Holly played 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 say they would never go back to high school. If I could go back a..."