Volleyball season preview / From hunted to hunter

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New Palestine's Jesi Hall, left, and Kaelyn Armstrong block a shot during their game against Guerin Catholic on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)

HANCOCK COUNTY — It’s a role reversal for the Mt. Vernon volleyball team.

Favorites to win the sectional in 2018, the Marauders were upset in the semifinal round by eventual tournament champion Greenfield-Central.

When the postseason comes around in 2019, the Marauders, along with the defending champion Cougars, will be underdogs in Sectional 9 with the additions of Class 4A state champion Yorktown and Class 3A winner New Castle.

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“Last year, we weren’t as seasoned as we are now. We learned a lot and grew a lot. This season we’re ready to go at it and work our hardest and leave it all on the court,” senior setter Victoria Bulmahn said.

A year ago, Mt. Vernon was third in the Hoosier Heritage Conference behind Yorktown and New Castle and won 24 overall matches, most in the county.

The Marauders have all their starters, and more, back from the 2018 roster. Victoria Bulmahn, who has verbally committed to play volleyball at Valparaiso — joining her sister Jaclyn Bulmahn — junior outside hitter/defensive specialist Claire Ertel, a Florida Gulf Coast commitment, and sophomore hitter Cecilia Bulmahn, the youngest of the Bulmahn sisters, were all members of last year’s All-Hancock County team.

Senior defensive specialist Lillie Perdue, senior libero Sophie Schultz, senior right side hitter Rachel Pelkington, junior middle blocker Olivia Yeley and sophomore hitter Delaney Bowser were all major contributors on last year’s 24-win team.

“The last two years we’ve beaten the county teams when we played them, New Pal and Greenfield-Central. So we went into the sectional as the favorite,” sixth-year coach Eric Bulmahn, father of the current and former MV volleyball standouts, said. “Neither time did we succeed as the favorites.

“This year, being the hunter might make these guys a little more inspired,” added the coach, who has a 122-43 record during his time with the Marauders.

They’ll need to be ready to go every night. The schedule includes eight teams that have won state titles. Along with the two reigning state champions, Mt. Vernon will play Bellmont, Brebeuf, Cathedral, Chatard, Delta and Muncie Central.

While the Marauders may not be the favorites, they are not under the radar. In PrepVolleyball.com’s national rankings, they were mentioned as one of five Indiana teams (along with Avon, Hamilton Southeastern, Muncie Burris and Munster) to watch outside their Top 100. New Castle was one of four state schools to earn a national ranking at No. 2. Providence is No. 28. Center Grove is No. 31 and Crown Point was ranked No. 90.

Mt. Vernon won the offseason Purdue University camp, going undefeated. In its run of wins included victories over strong programs Providence, Barr-Reeve (the Class 1A state champion) and McCutcheon.

The Marauders open the season Saturday with an 11:30 a.m. home matchup against Greenwood. They welcome Cathedral on Monday, a night they are billing as “Pack the House” Night.

Greenfield-Central

Ron Heck begins his first-season as head coach at Greenfield-Central.

The founder of The Academy Volleyball Club, where he also coached, Heck was most recently, in the high school ranks, an assistant and freshman head coach at Noblesville.

The Cougars graduated six from a team that reached the regional before losing to Class 4A state runner-up Avon. They were 23-12 last year and finished tied for fourth in the HHC with Delta.

Graduation didn’t take everyone. The top two hitters, juniors Ava Antic and Makayla Price, are back along with sophomore setter Morgan Hornaday.

Junior middle blockers Kenley Carpenter and Molly Schwarzkopf are also back along with right side/outside hitter Brooke Herrell.

Heck not only inherits a good corps of talent from a defending sectional champion but a youthful team, too. Anastasia Papadopoulos, a defensive specialist, is the team’s only senior.

“I feel like it’s been an easy transition,” Antic said of the change in head coaches. “He’s only been here a few months, but it feels like he’s been coaching us for a long time.”

Heck feels fortunate. So many times a coaching change comes when a team has not done well. That’s not the case with the Cougars.

“It’s kind of nice walking into a successful program,” Heck said. “It’s also nice that I have coached some of these kids in club ball when they were younger. It’s made my transition so much easier and I felt I had a connection with some of the kids right out of the gate.”

In the same sectional with the Marauders and the two defending champions, Greenfield-Central knows a repeat of the title will be a tough task.

“Yorktown and New Castle are definitely powerhouses. There’s no denying it,” Antic said. “When sectional comes around you have to have the mindset everyone is going to have to earn every point.”

Heck said the strength of his team will be his veteran outside and middle hitters. Much of the graduation losses were back row players.

Sophomore setter Hornaday, who played a limited role early in the season, knows how to get the ball to the hitters, too. She had 737 assists last year, ranking tops in the state among Class 4A freshman setters.

The Cougars open at home on Saturday against Hamilton Heights.

New Palestine

Nothing details the strength of the HHC more than the 2018 Dragons’ record.

New Palestine, a 2017 sectional champion, went 22-9 overall last year but just 2-5 in the HHC.

The Dragons graduated five players from last season and have five key returnees from last year’s team.

“We always talk about being your best every day, because when you are your best you make the team better,” coach Kelli Whitaker said. “I know that is going to pay off and result in success.

“Over the past five or six years, our program has been successful every single year, and I expect that this year.”

In just the last four years, the Dragons have a combined mark of 101-37.

“We’ve built a culture of winning and we like to win,” Whitaker added.

All-county outside hitter Kaelyn Armstrong returns along with right side hitter Lauren Dodd, middle blocker Jesi Hall and defensive specialists Reina Amones and Grace Myers. Dodd and Amones are the only seniors.

A key newcomer is setter Sarah Adam, who will take over the spot left from the graduation of Sydney Robertson.

“She is the type of kid every coach wants on their team,” Whitaker said. “She’s hard-working, accepts feedback from coaches and is a motivator. She worked hard this offseason to be where we need her to be.”

More hitting help comes from outside hitter Rachel Popp and middle blocker Kennedy Stephenson. A back row newcomer expected to help is McKaylah Flagle.

The Dragons were moved from Sectional 9 to Sectional 10. They’ll play the two defending champs in conference play but not in the postseason. Their route goes through Indianapolis, and while it may look easier than the previous season, it’s far from easy, joining the likes of powerhouse Cathedral.

“We’re excited for our opportunity in this new sectional,” Whitaker said. “We’re definitely going to have to compete. Cathedral is nationally-known and Lawrence North is big. We played them this summer.”

New Palestine begins its season Saturday with a home contest against Scecina.

Eastern Hancock

As the smallest school in the county, Eastern Hancock isn’t in the same conference and sectionals of the area’s bigger schools, but the Royals know what it’s like to play in a powerhouse league.

The Mid-Eastern Conference is one of the top small school volleyball conferences in the state, which includes defending league champion Wapahani, 27-win Monroe Central, sectional champions Cowan and Blue River Valley, along with 20-win Shenandoah.

Coach Cory Rainbolt’s club went 11-20 last season. She’s hoping this group can get above the .500 mark and play competitively against a very tough schedule.

The Royals have five seniors but not a lot of varsity experience. The Royals graduated five seniors, all starters, including All-MEC selection Jenna Smith.

This year’s seniors include six-rotation player Gracie Gray, the team’s tallest player Leiya Sotelo (6’1”), setter Paige Wickard, Skyla Smith, who gained some experience during last year’s sectional, and Jordyn Cross.

“We’re figuring out who works well together,” Rainbolt said.

Even with five seniors, Rainbolt said she expects plenty of contributions from young players. Both Lili Hunt and Megan Rutherford are sophomores that saw playing time as freshmen. Hunt started, but had her season cut short due to injury.

Another sophomore expected to jump in and contribute in the back row is Bre Taulbee. Junior Chloe McCarty is another addition to the back row, who also has setting experience.

“This team, as a whole, is a great group of girls,” Rainbolt said. “If we can get them to work hard, they have the determination and they want to be successful. We just have to get everybody on the same page on the same day.”

The Royals start play Monday at North Decatur.