FORTVILLE — She’s used to being in the middle when it comes to her family.
What she wasn’t used to was being in the middle on the volleyball court.
Victoria Bulmahn, the middle of three Bulmahn sisters who have played volleyball for Mt. Vernon, took on a completely new role this year for the Marauders.
There was a learning curve, sure, but it didn’t last long. She quickly adapted, leading the Marauders to a big regular season and earning herself Hancock County Volleyball Player of the Year honors in the process.
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“I was kind of surprised,” she said. “There are so many talented players in Hancock County, and it’s really an honor for me to get this title. There’s so many players, I’m sure so many others deserved it, too, so I’m really honored that it’s me.”
Her coach — her father, Eric Bulmahn — shared similar sentiments in hearing his daughter was voted the county’s best player.
“I was truly thankful,” he said. “We have just amazing talent in Hancock County. I knew she was a good player — you never know how others regard your own players. That was quite an honor that the other coaches felt the same way.”
Despite being just a junior, Victoria Bulmahn is used to trying new things since becoming a part of the Mt. Vernon volleyball program.
Her freshman year, she dressed on the varsity team and ended up in the lineup as a hitter.
She’d never hit before.
This year, with the team lacking another middle player, Eric Bulmahn had to get creative, going with something you don’t see often. He had his daughter set out of the middle.
She’d never played the middle before.
It didn’t matter. Once she settled in, she was a dominant force on the court, leading Hancock County in blocks and assists and finishing in the top 10 in several categories. Victoria Bulmahn was the only county player to earn all-district honors.
“I’m not going to lie, it was really challenging at first,” she said. “I never played middle before. The blocking footwork is hard. I’m not used to going out to one pin (position), then another. It was really challenging when I went out to block on their right side, and they would pass it to target, perfect pass, and then I’d have to run and sprint to get it. It was challenging, but I enjoyed it. It just gave me more of a motivation to work hard. My teammates, they never doubted me. They told me I could do it, lifted me up. It also gave me an insight into how hard the middles that I’m setting work. It really makes me appreciate them more.”
It helped, she said, that she had a very good coach. Eric Bulmahn played middle himself in college, so he helped her learn the footwork, positioning and other intricacies of the position.
Still, it took the right player to be able to step into that kind of role, he said. And Victoria didn’t just step into the role — she succeeded at a high level.
“Very challenging, but she picked it up early on and then embraced it and excelled at it,” her father said. “That’s one of the things that I’m most proud of, that she was able to do that.”
Sisterly support
When Victoria Bulmahn was a freshman, she was able to experience one year of playing varsity volleyball with her older sister, Jaclyn.
Her older sister helped her transition into high school volleyball, taking on the role of teacher for her younger sibling.
Jaclyn, now a sophomore playing volleyball at Valparaiso University, helped pave the way for her younger sister. This season, Victoria returned the favor with her younger sister, Cecilia.
Cecilia Bulmahn joined the Marauders this year as a freshman and went on to play a big part in the team’s success, earning all-county honors herself.
“I tried my hardest to be kind of a leader for her and take her into the team, because that’s what Jaclyn did for me when I was a freshman,” Victoria said. “It’s hard being one of the only freshmen on varsity, because all the other girls are friends, but Jaclyn did her best to bring me into the group, and she did, and I tried my best to bring Ceci into the group.”
“Whether it be on the court or at home, Victoria is always trying to guide her, give her advice, whether she wants it or not,” Eric Bulmahn added. “Jaclyn was the same way with Victoria, and I know during the year Victoria would call Jaclyn and ask for her advice. The sisters leaning on each other is something they’ve learned to do.”
The middle Bulmahn was caught off guard a bit by her sister this year, though.
She knew Cecilia had the ability to play high school volleyball. She didn’t quite realize just how good she was.
That was a nice surprise.
“I really like playing with Ceci,” she said. “She’s very talented. I did not know until open gym started in the summer — our club tournaments were at the same time, our school seasons were at the same time, so I never got to see her play — and open gym comes and she’s, like, slamming balls. I’m like, where did this come from? She surprised me.”
Continuing to grow
As a leader of a very young volleyball team, there is plenty of excitement for the future for the middle Bulmahn sister.
The Marauders had one senior, a lot of juniors and some sophomores and freshmen this year. That means a lot of returning pieces from a 24-win team for what will be Victoria Bulmahn’s senior year.
“It was just awesome that we all got to grow together and learn as a team,” she said. “Our team chemistry was really good. On the court we just lifted each other up, encouraged each other and made sure that we were all doing our jobs, holding each other accountable. I love our team. We really bond well and play together and lift each other up.”
Like the rest of her teammates, she has club volleyball to go through next before embarking on her next high school season.
She’ll be playing up an age bracket this year, with the 18s, and she said she’s looking forward to the higher level of competition. It will provide another opportunity to learn and grow for the middle sister.
“She’s perfectly suited for setter, because setters are the ones that are going to get the criticism or the accolades. You’re always going to be the hardest on the setter,” Eric Bulmahn said. “She has that leadership ability that she can take that and then turn it to the floor and share it with the teammates, try to drive them. She’s a very independent woman. Victoria is always asking why we’re doing this, or what about doing that. She’s always trying to add other aspects. She wants to learn the game at another level.”
She credits her dad for teaching her, whether it be day-to-day coaching or helping her adjust to the middle position this season. He knows how she likes to be coached and what she’ll respond well to, she said.
As she looks to the future, Bulmahn said she has looked at a few colleges and has one in mind, but isn’t ready to share her desired destination just yet.
She’s taken up choir this year to pair with club volleyball, and in what free time she has, she’s trying to teach herself guitar to go with piano, which she’s played for a long time. She views herself as very family-oriented off the volleyball court, too, spending time with her grandparents and cousins.
While it is still a ways away, her final high school season will come with a new title attached to Victoria Bulmahn’s name. But just because she was voted the best in the county as a junior doesn’t mean she’s going to stop pushing forward.
It’s all about team success. The junior has experienced a sectional title — won in her freshman year — and the end goal for next season reaches beyond that in the state tournament.
“It’s an honor and an awesome title, but next year, it doesn’t make me any better than anyone else,” she said. “I just have to keep working hard. If I can get it again that would be amazing, but there are so many other players on my team alone, and on other teams, that deserve the title as well. If we all just work hard and try to be the best player and best teammate that we can be, that’s what is important.”
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Who joins the Player of the Year on the all-county volleyball team? Find out inside on Page B2.
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