Marauders volleyball ready to challenge behind depth, talent

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Mt. Vernon’s Delaney Bowser and Macy Lyons defend the net against Yorktown during the IHSAA sectional championship on Saturday, Oct.17, 2020. (Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)

FORTVILLE — The Mt. Vernon volleyball program knows frustration. Recent postseason history is evidence of it.

Over the past eight years, Marauders head coach Eric Bulmahn’s teams haven’t won fewer than 18 games in any season he’s been at the helm.

The program itself has reached 27 or more victories three times since 2014, Bulmahn’s first year, and peaked with 29 wins in 2015 to set the stage for back-to-back sectional championships (2015, 2016).

In the past eight seasons, the Marauders haven’t placed lower than fourth in the highly-competitive Hoosier Heritage Conference with four third-place runs in 2015, ‘18, ‘19 and ‘20.

Overall, Mt. Vernon has been successful, but its also drawn into arguably the toughest Class 4A sectional and tournament paths in the state.

Last season, the Marauders’ campaign ended much like the year prior — at the hands of the eventual state champion in Yorktown at sectional. In 2019, 4A state champion New Castle closed the book on the Marauders.

In four of the past six postseasons, the Marauders have ran into the state champion, including Indianapolis Cathedral in both 2015 and 2016 at regional, and have unfortunately lost.

Sprinkle in a pair of postseason sectional defeats to Hancock County rivals New Palestine and Greenfield-Central in between, and the Marauders could easily just throw in the towel.

Not a chance.

Instead, Bulmahn and his Marauders are determined to chase down their same elusive goal, and they have the depth and talent to make a potential push this October.

“Whoever wins our sectional seems to go win state,” Bulmahn said. “These guys are really focused on that goal. These guys have that on their bulletin board. They know the regular season, every match is important, but they also believe they can get over the hump this year. They truly believe that.

“Confidence is half of that when you step up on the court and there’s a Yorktown jersey on the other side or Pendleton Heights, which is going to be vastly improved. I think they have a high-level of confidence, and we do most years going into it, and just can’t quite get over that hump. These six seniors believe this is the year for them to do it.”

Led by senior outside hitter Cecilia Bulmahn, a Southern Illinois recruit, the Marauders plan to utilize team chemistry and competitiveness to breakthrough in 2021 despite the loss of Claire Ertel (305 kills) and Oliva Yeley (77 total blocks) due to graduation.

“I lost two four-year starters, so that’s a lot of experience to lose, but I’m happy with the players that we have to be able to replace that experience,” Eric Bulmahn said. “I think we’ll be strong again and we have more depth than we’ve ever had.”

The Marauders have shaped their 2021 roster from nearly 36 players, who attended tryouts this preseason. Atop the list, however, are six senior leaders, including Cecilia.

An IHSVCA second-team 4A all-state selection, Cecilia Bulmahn paced the Marauders last season with 433 kills at 4.6 per set (37.3 kill percentage). She added 37 total blocks and 383 digs in 94 sets played.

As a team, the Marauders had five players with 200 or more digs in 2020 with four back, including senior setter Rylee Ugen (249), senior hitter Delaney Bowser (368) and junior Abby Herman (478).

At the net, senior Macy Lyons (91 total blocks) will patrol the middle where she will likely be joined often by sophomore Sophia Damer.

On the outside, senior Tatum Fitzgerald (86 kills) and Cecilia are projected to take aim as Ugen (940 assists) will captain the team’s offensive attack.

“We have had that (chemistry) in the past. I think it was 2015, 2016 back when we won back-to-back sectionals,” Eric Bulmahn said. “The key was that they knew the expectations of each other. They held each other accountable to a higher level.

“This group, I’ve already told them that they are empowered. They’re seniors, it’s time to lead. We have six seniors and two junior mainstays, and they came up with rules of their own to live by and goals of their own. They’re all working together with one common goal.”

The team’s initial aspiration is to improve on last season’s 22-5 record and third-place finish in the HHC. Mt. Vernon went 5-2 in the conference last fall with its lone losses to champion Yorktown and runner-up New Castle.

The development of senior Meredith Hohnbaum and Bowser (88 kills) gives the Marauders versatility in their rotation and on the court, which could put them in position to challenge, once again.

“Our goal every year, since I became coach, is to be in the top half of the HHC because I know it’s one of the toughest conferences in the state,” Bulmahn said. “Being in the top half is good, so luckily, by their own sheer will, we’ve been able to stay there. That is a sense of pride.”

The same can be said of their regular-season schedule.

Beyond their HHC rivals, the Marauders are set to face Cathedral, Noblesville, Heritage Christian, North Central, Roncalli, Brebeuf Jesuit and Fishers.

“This year is going to be tough. We’re on the road for most of our tough matches,” Bulmahn said. “This is a big travel year for us.”

The question is, how far can the Marauders travel down that road? The first step is conference and then sectional for a potential 13th title in program history and first since 2016.


2021 Mt. Vernon Volleyball Season Schedule

Aug. 14: Greenwood at Mt. Vernon, 10 a.m.

Aug. 16: Cathedral at Mt. Vernon, 6 p.m.

Aug. 18: Noblesville at Mt. Vernon, 6 p.m.

Aug. 19: Mt. Vernon at Heritage Christian, 6 p.m.

Aug. 21: Cardinal Ritter Invitational, 10 a.m.

Aug. 24: Guerin Catholic at Mt. Vernon, 6 p.m.

Aug. 25: Mt. Vernon at North Central, 6 p.m.

Aug. 26: Pendleton Heights at Mt. Vernon, 6 p.m.

Aug. 31: Mt. Vernon at Brownsburg, 7 p.m.

Sept. 2: Mt. Vernon at Delta, 6 p.m.

Sept. 7: Brebeuf Jesuit at Mt. Vernon, 7 p.m.

Sept. 9: Mt. Vernon at Yorktown, 6 p.m.

Sept. 13: Mt. Vernon at Roncalli, 6 p.m.

Sept. 14: Greenfield-Central at Mt. Vernon, 6 p.m.

Sept. 16: Mt. Vernon at New Castle, 6 p.m.

Sept. 18: Bellmont Invitational, noon

Sept. 22: Mt. Vernon at Triton Central, 6 p.m.

Sept. 23: Mt. Vernon at Lawrence North, 6 p.m.

Sept. 28: Fishers at Mt. Vernon, 7 p.m.

Sept. 30: Shelbyville at Mt. Vernon, 6 p.m.

Oct. 4: Mt. Vernon at Shenandoah, 6 p.m.

Oct. 7: Mt. Vernon at New Palestine, 6 p.m.

Oct. 9: Carmel Invitational, 10 a.m.