Bella Bullington usually responds to high praise with a shy smile and a nod to one or all of her Marist teammates.
The Northwestern recruit had a different reaction, though, when it was suggested she’s on a path to put her face on the Mount Rushmore of RedHawks in girls volleyball.
“Oh, wow,” she said, laughing. “It’s funny to think about that. But it’s nice to hear. This is such a great program, and the amount of people who have come through here that I’ve grown up admiring and looking up to is amazing.
“It’s really cool to get to that point. But there is always more that can be reached. So we’re looking for that.”
Bullington wasn’t laughing when she talked about what “more” meant.
Marist hasn’t been to state since 2019. Leading the program to a third Class 4A championship is front and center on her radar screen.
And the carrot is dangling.
“Definitely,” Bullington said. “I personally think we’re one of the best teams in the state. The work we have put in, not just this season but years prior and in club, has led up to this.
“This is the pinnacle of that. For me, I’ve put in all of this work. We need to get down there. We need to see that result, finally. And we know we can do it. It’s crucial.”
Marist’s Bella Bullington (2) splits the block of Joliet Catholic’s Heavenly Sarfo (6) and Jessica Horn (9) during an East Suburban Catholic Conference match in Chicago on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
Bullington, a 6-foot-1 senior outside hitter, had 482 kills, 281 digs, 46 aces and 75 blocks last season as Marist (33-5) and advanced to the sectional final.
Describing her style can be pretty simple. She gets up high and swings with a heavy arm.
Junior libero and Maryland recruit Elayna Davidson describes it more eloquently.
“It’s amazing to see,” Davidson said. “It’s like she’s flying in the air. I’m watching her in awe because she’s always going up to rip it.
“I’m the person below her, telling her where to put the ball. She always listens and takes feedback on where to hit. You can always count on her to score, tool the block, put the ball in play.”
As a junior, Bullington was dominant on a nightly basis.
Marist’s Bella Bullington tries to squeeze her swing past Mother McAuley’s Keira Ohse (17) and Mary Claire Deacy (14) during a nonconference match in Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
On one particular night, she was surreal. That came in a match on Sept. 22, 2023, when the RedHawks beat host Mother McAuley 25-20, 24-26, 25-16 before a packed and raucous crowd.
The main attraction was the showdown between Bullington and Ellie White, the Mighty Macs’ powerhouse hitter.
White, a Michigan recruit, was a force with 14 kills and seven digs. But she was no match that night for Bullington, who had the crowd gasping with a whopping 25 kills and 10 digs.
“I had this fire in me and I could feel it,” Bullington said. “I just wanted the ball at all moments. I trusted myself that night, and it felt like I was jumping up higher than in some of the other nights in the past. I came out with everything I had in me, and it worked out nicely.”
If anybody saw it coming, it was Davidson.
“That night, she and I drove to McAuley together,” Davidson said. “We were talking about the mental side and she was like, ‘I’m just so locked in.’ I knew from there that she would come out blazing.
“She single-handedly brought the energy herself. It was so awesome to see her go at it. It was one of the best matches I have ever played in.”
The Mighty Macs got their revenge in the sectional final, and White ended her high school career with a second state title.
For Bullington, another chance remains to bring the RedHawks back to the state stage. Marist coach Jordan Vidovic is a believer.
“Obviously, her offense and her attacking has made her the standout that she is,” Vidovic said. “But I really think it’s the rest of her game that has elevated her status to where she is a clear-cut top player in the state of Illinois.
“She has a great group around her this season, and she can let it ride with some other things off her plate. College is set, and I think she’s ready to be super free and super loose and embrace and enjoy the leadership aspect.”
All the way to the top of the Marist mountain?
“I don’t think it’s far-fetched by any means,” Vidovic said. “But I think she’s the type of kid to say that if she does certain things that impact our team’s success to the next level this season, that’s what she’d want to do to earn that — to deserve that.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
