The Mount Vernon boys volleyball team is coming off a year in which they went 12-4 and lost in the regional final, and Yellow Jackets coach Chad Sivewright feels that his team has strong leadership and versatility that can bring them right back in the hunt for a title.
“Last year, we made it to the regional final and lost in four sets to Olentangy Liberty,” said Coach Sivewright. “Our goal is to be there this year and beyond. It is our goal every year to be in the conversation as a possible state final team. Our conference does not have boys volleyball, so right now we are basically an independent, but we are part of the East Region.”
The Yellow Jackets have a senior group that are “COVID freshmen,” meaning they lost their freshman season and had to battle in their sophomore year. They toughed it out and worked to come back as a top-tier team, he said.
Cooper Carpenter has started on varsity since his sophomore year and will be looked upon for leadership in the setter position. The same goes for Dash Lepley, who Sivewright said shows dedication and leadership on the court. Lepley is listed as a libero and defensive specialist.
Cameron Hart, who will be a defensive specialist and libero, is a player whom Sivewright said brings “amazing work ethic and attitude,” while Joel Hubbard (outside hitter) and Layne Kuhlman (middle blocker) are coming back to volleyball and look to be major contributors. Sivewright added that Ethan Cline (opposite hitter) is a returning starter in his senior year who has grown into a well-rounded player.
He also said his juniors have shown that they have the talent to make a big difference on the high school and club levels.
“We have a super strong junior class, and a few of them are playing on the top club teams in Ohio,” Sivewright said. “They have a lot of experience both in club and varsity level play. Our sophomore class is the same, some playing on top teams in their age brackets for club. We have some really talented freshmen as well and I have seen the group coming up from the middle school too. We look really strong for this year and the future.”
The boys volleyball program started in 1996 and Sivewright joined the team in 1997 before graduating in 1998. He went on to play at East Nazarene College. Sivewright has had the opportunity to see the Mount Vernon volleyball team come in and out of action since the beginning, and has known the coaches over the years. He has also seen some go on to play in college and continue their college careers. This includes Brandon Grabow, who was a top player in Ohio and played at Queens University in Charlotte. Another is Jordan Hoag, who is now playing at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) and while on the Yellow Jackets, was a starter on the 2019 final four team. Spencer Stanley and Landon Ewers graduated in 2020, and were also starters on the final four team, and went on to MVNU.
“We have a number of guys interested in playing at the collegiate level,” Sivewright said. “Ethan Cline is a senior and has come really far in the last couple years; by playing at the varsity level and club, he has gained a lot of experience and skill. Zack Karns and Parker Gantt are juniors who play at a high level in the clubs and have been on varsity since their sophomore year for Karns and freshman year for Gantt. They both have excelled in their positions and bring leadership as well. These are a few of the older guys that have expressed interest, but we have a number that could play somewhere I’m sure if they wanted to. There are quite a bit more opportunities and we have very talented and hardworking student-athletes in our program.”
Sivewright said his coaching philosophy is to be the best possible and get the guys to understand what it takes to be the best, as well. He said a key is to not be arrogant but bring your peers up with you.
“This is both on and off the court,” Sivewright said. “I also don’t think that we should be OK with losing, but handle it with class, grace and sportsmanship; and then learn from it and see what we can do as individuals to not let losing happen again. It’s not a time to point the finger, but instead, look at what my part is and how I’m going to get better to make my team better. I like the saying 'It won’t fail because of me.' To me that says that I will take care of the things I need to to be the best I can be, and believe that my teammates are doing the same thing.”
The volleyball season started on March 10, and the Yellow Jackets got off to a tough start with a pair of 3-0 losses to Hilliard Darby and then Archbishop Moeller. They followed with a 3-0 win over St. Charles and a 3-1 win over St. Vincent-St. Mary. Next up was an away matchup against Olentangy Liberty on March 15, and the Jackets fell to 2-3 on the season with a tight and tough 3-1 loss.
In the match against St. Vincent-St. Mary, Carpenter was outstanding at setter with 50 assists to go with seven kills, two blocks and eight digs. Gantt led the offense with 29 kills and also had 17 digs on defense, and three blocks.
Next up is a road match against Licking Heights on March 23, at 7 p.m.
