Updated ’23 Rankings: Best Middles Available

<p>We listed five of the best pin attackers available yesterday. Today, we list the middles that still don’t have a place to play in the fall of ’23. With <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85903" first="Gabby" last="Dean"] (6-3, Columbus East, committed to Illinois)</strong> the only middle off of the big board, there are plenty of athletic options in the middle.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85897" first="Emily" last="Waddell"], 6-0, Carmel</strong></p> <p>In front and behind, away from the setter or close for a zero tempo, Emily is always up, is always available to hit, and is one of the best terminating middles in Central Indiana. Her length and springy athleticism gets her where she needs to be, on time, without hesitation. This is a no doubt M1 or M2, depending on what her new home needs come August of ’23.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85826" first="Ava" last="Vickers"], 6-0, Fishers</strong></p> <p>Speaking of springy and athletic, Miss Vickers is an exceptional M1, through and through. Her athleticism is shown off by (1) how fast she is, and (2) how high she jumps off of one foot, regardless of where the set is. She’s relentless; a perfect trait to have considering the conference and sectional the Tigers play in every year.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85902" first="Cali" last="Cummings"], 6-0, Seymour</strong></p> <p>A Union kid in the spring, this fall Owl will be an outstanding M2 at the next level. She excels off of two feet, not only hammering balls, but smart about her attacks, making very few errors. In my opinion, she’s actually stronger that the two listed above, and uses that strength to pound through opposing blocks. I’d like to see stronger hands so that she doesn’t get tooled as much, but that’s the nature of training, which she gets plenty of.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99583" first="Mya" last="Ayro"], 5-11 MB/OH, Greenwood</strong></p> <p>I listed both positions because I’ve seen her in both positions. High-flying and athletic, she spends her falls as a pounding middle, most effective off of one foot. In the spring, she spent time as both a three-rotation outside and a six-rotation outside for Travis Fuller at the Academy. This kid loves to play, and is the definition of gamer. Her rise has been steady, and hopefully she has a more successful Greenwood team around her this fall to help.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85906" first="Cadence" last="Ast"], 6-2, Bloomington South</strong></p> <p>Long and lean, Cadence will be a great M2 in the fall of ’23 for someone. She’s always available to hit, transitions well, and can go from pin to pin defensively. Relentless by nature, her shift in the top five list today proves how much she’s worked to get here, and it’s only a matter of time before someone takes notice. </p>