Beechwood volleyball claimed its second straight All "A" state championship Saturday at the Owensboro Convention Center. The 18-1 Tigers now head to Conner on Wednesday, Sept. 23, and Cooper on Thursday, Sept. 24, for a pair of Boone County road matches.

The Fort Mitchell school defeated Louisville Holy Cross 25-12, 23-25, 25-10 in the championship match, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. It is the second small-school state title in Beechwood history, both won in consecutive seasons.

Senior outside hitter Isabel O'Brien earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Macy Armstrong, Skylr Estep, Rachel Lewandowski and Kennedy Sturgeon joined her on the all-tournament team.

The Tigers lost just one set across the entire tournament. They held opponents to 12.6 points per set, and outside of that lone lost set, no team scored more than 17 points against them in a single frame.

Armstrong delivered the final kill of the championship match, just as she had in the Ninth Region All "A" Classic final on Aug. 27.

"She was pretty unstoppable. They all were," head coach Matt Long told the Enquirer about O'Brien's tournament performance.

Long, the reigning Ninth Region coach of the year, credited the Tigers' service pressure and athleticism at the net for pulling them through tight moments. He said the team's depth mattered across a grueling schedule of four matches on Saturday alone.

Ninth Region teams have won 11 of the last 15 All "A" state championships, according to the Northern Kentucky Tribune. Beechwood kept that streak alive by beating Bishop Brossart, which suffered its first loss of the season in the state semifinals. Brossart seniors Aubrey Rebholz and Josie Reckner still earned all-tournament recognition.

Long said his team's focus now shifts to the rest of the Northern Kentucky schedule and the push toward regionals.

"We want to get to regionals and win two rounds versus one," Long told the Enquirer. "… We've got a lot of work to do because it's not a cakewalk, either."

Conner and Cooper fans will get a close look at the defending champs on back-to-back nights. Conner entered the season ranked No. 17 in the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association (KVCA) poll, led by junior Charlotte Patton, a returning first-team all-state selection, according to LINK nky's preseason coverage.

Beechwood then hosts Bishop Brossart on Tuesday, Sept. 29, in a rematch 10 days after their state semifinal meeting.