By Brian Gosset
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
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Brewer came into the season with nine seniors on its roster, and when those players started in the program as freshmen, head coach Jill Barkey had arrived on the scene.
Barkey came to Brewer for the 2022 season after 14 years with Alvarado. Barkey and the 2026 class have shared these past four years growing…learning…and getting better.
The Bears now have done something they haven’t done in over 25 years – make the volleyball playoffs. After beating Keller Fossil Ridge 3-1 in the final regular season game on Oct. 24, Barkey and Brewer clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 1999.
Brewer, who has 20+ wins overall for the first time in a long time, will face Argyle in the 5A D2 bi-district round on Thursday at Mansfield Summit.
“When you’re at a place for four years you expect some things to start to happen, things to change and to turn the tide of a program around so it was a great feeling for me and the kids,” Barkey said. “These girls have done something no one has done in quite some time so it’s a big mark they are leaving here for the girls that are coming after them.”
Against Fossil Ridge, Brewer trailed 11-2 and 19-12 in the fourth set before coming back 25-22 to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
After starting District 5-5A with a 2-5 record, Brewer closed out with four wins in the final five games to even get into playoff contention.
“Practices became more intense because we knew we left ourselves in a hole going into the second round of district,” Barkey said. “We focused on mental toughness and we talked about that pretty regularly.”
Barkey calls the 2026 class a special class because her and those players started at the same time. She said it’s also the biggest class she’s had that plays outside of high school.
Barkey said playing at the club level has played a huge role in Brewer’s success this season, and she’s encouraging other girls in the program to do that same.
“After the game on Friday against Ridge, the first time I picked up my phone which was about 15 minutes after the game, I had like 53 missed text messages just from people who were watching the game on NFHS. 30 minutes after that I had another 60 messages so I could definitely tell how proud people were of the girls and what they accomplished,” Barkey said. “Knowing it’s been such a big deal, not to just make the playoffs but the fact it’s been so long and that we made that comeback in district – everyone was well aware of what a big deal it was. I’m really proud of the girls and what they’ve done, and I think the community is really excited.”
