Class of 2022: The Fall’s Standout Middle Hitters

<p>Middle Hitter is one of the strong positions in the class of 2022.</p> <p>There are a number of top prospects in this class at that position, many of which were able to put up strong showings this fall.</p> <p>Here’s a look at some of the top middles from this prep season in the Class of 2022.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24870" first="Serena" last="Nyambio"], Detroit Country Day: </strong>Nyambio (Michigan) has continued to raise her game and is sure to be a dominant star on the court in 2021. Already playing well above the net on offense and defense, Nyambio has improved on her passing and serve to become more of a complete player. Not many in the country can match her explosion and pure athleticism.</p> <p><strong>Ava Horton, Rockford: </strong>Rockford had plenty of talent to work with in the middle. Horton, alongside <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60837" first="Ava" last="Young"]</strong>, were a dominant duo. Horton put down 304 kills this fall while hitting .308 at the net. She also added 80 blocks and 58 aces for the Rams. Horton has Rockford looking like a sure top contender in the 2021 season.</p> [caption id="attachment_119747" align="alignright" width="256"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-119747" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/12/Lowell-Emily-Struckmeyer-256x300.jpg" alt="" width="256" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="24876" first="Emily" last="Struckmeyer"][/caption] <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24876" first="Emily" last="Struckmeyer"], Lowell: </strong>The Red Arrows have had a dominant outside in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="14192" first="Jenna" last="Reitsma"]</strong>, but Struckmeyer proved she is a great compliment in the middle. This season, Struckmeyer had an impressive 258 kills while hitting .317 for Lowell. She also had 61 blocks, 169 digs and 32 aces for the D1 quarterfinalist.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24877" first="Sarah" last="Sylvester"], Marian: </strong>Sylvester (TCU) really turned up her level of play in the later stages of the regular season. The 6’3” middle had a career-best in kills this season with 179. She also matched her career-best with 72 blocks. Sylvester has the Mustangs awaiting a D1 quarterfinal matchup as they are one of the top contenders to claim the state championship when the postseason resumes.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24843" first="Cari" last="Bohm"], Skyline: </strong>Bohm (Illinois) bounced back from an injury in 2019 with a big 2020 season for Skyline. Bohm fit in nicely with the Eagles to be a great compliment to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="66319" first="Harper" last="Murray"]</strong>. Bohm has Skyline in the D1 quarterfinals right now and the 6’4” middle has 172 kills with 50 blocks. Bohm continues to make great strides with her game.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60849" first="Sophia" last="Gra"]y, Bedford: </strong>Gray was impressive for Bedford, a D1 regional finalist. She had 232 kills and 116 blocks from the middle this fall. She also added 42 aces from the service line and had 125 digs. Gray really showed that she can be a complete player and will be one of the top middles in the state entering the 2021 season.</p> <p><strong>Brooklyn Conner, Forest Hills Central: </strong>Conner (Clemson) is a 6’2” middle that has shown she can take over games. She was one of the kill and block leaders for the Rangers this fall. Conner went up against some of the best in the state and showed why she is heading to the ACC in 2022. Along with her size, Conner has great footwork to be able to finish points.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60832" first="Amanda" last="Glanton"], Davison: </strong>Glanton guided Davison to a district final where it fell in five sets to Grand Blanc. The 6’4” Glanton was a blocking machine this season and always put herself in good position to slow down opposing hitters. Offensively, she’s an always-improving striker that can’t be stopped when in sync with her setter.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91609" first="Leah" last="Rogers"], Hudsonville: </strong>Rogers was a blocking machine for Hudsonville this fall. She had 101 blocks during the season, with 62 being solo blocks. On the attack, Rogers put down 165 kills while adding 23 aces. Rogers already has the defensive aspects down. As she improves on her finishing ability, Rogers is going to become a dominant force.</p> <p><strong>Lindsey Guza, Ubly: </strong>Guza was unstoppable while being named First Team All-State in Division 4. She got a lot of swings for the Bearcats and put down 438 kills while hitting .395. She also had 96 blocks for Ubly, a Division 4 quarterfinalist.</p> <p><strong>Others to note: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60837" first="Ava" last="Young"], Rockford; [player_tooltip player_id="60835" first="Kyla" last="Wiersema"], Western Michigan Christian; [player_tooltip player_id="24882" first="Ellie" last="Toney"], Corunna; [player_tooltip player_id="60840" first="Anika" last="Prisby"], Armada; [player_tooltip player_id="60841" first="Olivia" last="Howlett"], Hudsonville; Sophie Schrag, Skyline; [player_tooltip player_id="89368" first="Brianna" last="Stawski"], Reeths-Puffer</p>