A Tribute to the Middles
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Whether you are a club or high school coach the hardest position to fill is that of middle blocker. When you tell a player you are considering using them at middle they look at you as if you have just…
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Continue ReadingWhether you are a club or high school coach the hardest position to fill is that of middle blocker. When you tell a player you are considering using them at middle they look at you as if you have just offered them a bowl of asparagus. There are a limited number of players enthused about playing this position so when you find one it’s equivalent to finding a dollar on the sidewalk. Euphoria sets in.
This is a tribute to the middles who stand out to me. It is a difficult position to play and one that is often times played in obscurity. The middle is required to make two reads in one rally sequence to be successful. They must read the setter to determine the area of the court she chooses to set and they must read the hitter to determine where she chooses to attack.
These are the five players who have escaped the obscurity of the position and stood out for me. If you are not listed here perhaps I have yet to see you or like many middles who labor at this position you have yet to stand out. The glory seems to find the six rotation outside hitters who are able to bury out of system sets, but for me the respect goes to the middles who get the job done.
Brielle Kemavor Brielle Kemavor 6'5" | MB Charles J. Colgan | 2023 State #148 Nation VA 6’5″ Colgan High/Metro 17 – Brielle intimidates you with that height and a presence on the court that exudes confidence. She buries spikes effortlessly during warm ups. As a player you try to sneak a peak but not gawk at her spikes. She can take over a game with her blocking, neutralizing the best left side hitters. On offense she usually skies over the other middles, hitting it through or over their blocks. She led Colgan to a five set victory over Herndon for their first high school state championship. Now she hopes to lead Metro 17 to an Open junior national championship. Brielle is committed to BYU.
Hannah Sherman 6’2″ Holy Cross/Metro 18 – Hannah has won the Capital Hill Classic best blocker award for three years, including last year. She seems to have that uncanny ability to read the setter to move quickly to form a block. She has been doing that since she was 13, when she first won her best blocker award. She is also a savvy hitter that finds ways to hit around the block. Hannah is committed to Louisville. She has the quickness to play outside, but when you have a middle that can cover so much of the court you use that to your advantage.
Jaiden O’Donoghue 6’3″ North Hagerston/Liberty Elite 18 – She is probably the opposite of Brielle, quiet and unassuming. You don’t notice her on the court until she blocks you a couple times. Rarely did I not see her cover a pin. She also gets good arm extension, hitting high over the block and into the deep corners of the court. She will be playing for Liberty Elite in Phoenix at the 18 Junior National Championships. A college coach could get rewarded by watching her play.
Kiylah Presley Kiylah Presley 6'0" | OH Bishop McNamara | 2024 State #114 Nation VA 6’1″ Bishop McNamara/Paramount 16 – She is small for a middle and the one player here that one could argue for an opportunity to hit outside. She reaches close to 10 feet in her block jump and hits like an outside hitter. She is rated number two in our Virginia class of 2024 but is still somewhat unheralded. How long she stays at middle is open to question, but she covers the pins and she runs the quicks well.
Madison Bowser Madison Bowser 6'2" | MB Bishop O'Connell | 2024 State VA 6’2″ Bishop O’Connell/Metro 16 – This is not the player of the same name listed as the middle blocker for Texas A&M who also played in Northern Virginia for Colgan High and Metro. This Madison Bowser Madison Bowser 6'2" | MB Bishop O'Connell | 2024 State VA has only been playing middle for a couple years but has the athletic ability and frame to be a dominant player. The Metro 16 team is her first opportunity to play at a highly competitive level and she is making the most of it. There is still a bit of rawness in her game, but that is quickly disappearing with each tournament.
So there is my tip of the cap to the players listed above who sacrifice the lime light to toil in the middle. They are sometimes forgotten because their opportunity to show case their skills is limited. But a team that has a good middle that embraces her position is a team that is always tough to beat.