Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
PIKETON — From the time Bailey Vulgamore’s name was called as a member of Piketon’s starting lineup, she’s proven herself to be worthy of that honor.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Vulgamore, a sophomore, was thrown into the fire as a freshman last winter. She was asked to be a leader and to produce on a nightly basis while adjusting to the varsity game on the fly.
She didn’t miss a beat.
Her drive to be the best and to make each of her teammates better is second to none. The Redstreaks have benefited from her mindset, starting this season 5-4 overall while showing continuous improvement.
We caught up with Piketon’s point guard to discuss the pressure she plays under, her best on-court traits, her goals moving forward and much more.
Question: This group of sophomores has been labeled as “special.” That’s for good reason. How has your class handled the pressure that was immediately applied when you entered high school?
Vulgamore: I’m not going to lie, it’s really hard having that pressure on you as soon as you enter high school. But I feel like the girls and I really know how good we can be and that helps. I think knowing that people have high expectations for our class helps us play to our full potential because we always know people are watching to see us do our best.
Q: We see you do a little bit of everything with the ball in your hands. But what’s your favorite type of play to make and why?
BV: Honestly, I love when I get a rebound and take it down the court, drive, and then make a good pass to one of our bigs. It gives me and the girls a big boost.
Q: In the next couple of seasons, and this season as well, the SVC is only going to get better. How do you girls continue to deal with the parity and what’s it going to take to win an SVC title?
BV: It’s going to take a lot of focus and just having fun to win an SVC title. We know the SVC is always strong, but if we play our best and have fun, I think we can be at the top. We have the skill and the athleticism to beat anyone. We just have to put all of our hard work together and I believe we can win an SVC title.
Q: What are your individual and team goals throughout the next two and a 2 1/2 seasons?
BV: My individual goals in the next 2 1/2 years are really to help my team in any way I can. If I’m not scoring well, I’m going to play defense and make good passes. I just want to help my team win any way I can. I would also love to hit the 1,000 point milestone. That’s always been something I’ve wanted to do and I believe I can. Our team goals are just to keep focus and believe in ourselves. We would love to win the Holiday Classic the next two years and win the SVC.
Q: What do you feel like your best on-court quality is?
BV: I think my best on-court quality is my court vision and basketball IQ.
Q: You’re the leader of your team. But you seem to do it by example. Can you speak to how you handle a leadership role?
BV: No one ever said being a leader is easy, and I never expected it to be. But the group of girls I play with makes it a lot easier. They all know what their role is and know what they need to do to help the team succeed. As the leader, I just try to make sure the girls keep a positive attitude and if they have questions, I try to know as much as I can so I can help in any way.