Five Available Middles From The Class Of ’23

<p>With the release of the new-and-improved rankings comes a new list of kids still available for the fall of ’23. Here are five middles that should get a ton of attention in the home stretch of club season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85897" first="Emily" last="Waddell"], 6-0, Carmel, Circle City</strong></p> <p>The M1 for one of the top 17s teams in the country is still without a home for the fall of 2023. She alters shots at the net, plays with a high motor, and can terminate any tempo of set both in front of and behind the setter. The relentlessness alone should get far more attention in the near future, and, with their open bid already secured, should also help her squad compete for a national title at GJNC.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85902" first="Cali" last="Cummings"], 6-1, Seymour, Cougar</strong></p> <p>Big, strong and smart, Cali has proven time and again that vision is just as important as size to terminating regularly in the middle. She’s exceptional off of two feet, leading this author to project her value as an M2 at the next level. Her broad shoulders also provides outstanding net defense for her Cougar squad. I’d love to see what the fall of ’22 holds for Seymour, as there are a ton of rising club players making their mark in the class of ’23.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99589" first="Jessica" last="Pickett"], 6-5, Carmel, Academy</strong></p> <p>The "other" middle at Carmel is easily the biggest on this (or any) list involving middles from Indiana. Her transition is faster than average for a kid her size, and she can defend pin to pin without much effort. I like her two-footed nature, which projects her to be a solid M2 choice in the fall of ’23. Strong and skilled, Jessica has fully recovered from shoulder issues to prove that her Academy squad is a force to be reckoned with at the open level. Let’s see if they can get that ever-elusive open bid at Windy City this weekend.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85911" first="Libby" last="Dippold"], 5-11, Columbus East, Union</strong></p> <p>With <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85903" first="Gabby" last="Dean"] (Illinois commit)</strong> as the M1 for CE, Libby is the middle people forget about as an equally adept terminator. As an M1 for a smaller school, Libby chases a slide better than most, and can defend from pin to pin even if she doesn’t terminate. She’s improved significantly since changing to Union, and I would not be surprised if a smaller division 1 program took advantage of this diamond from Southern Indiana.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99590" first="JaNyah" last="Henderson"], 5-11, Fishers, Rev</strong></p> <p>What an explosive and terminal middle JaNyah is. She has played this entire club season with one of the better open-level teams in the 17s division, and will have yet another chance to chase that open bid at the Windy City in Chicago. Her transition and jumping ability beats most bigger middles, and her foot speed and anticipation defends well against the faster middles. An all-around athletic middle, JaNyah will be a steal for anyone interested in all of those qualities.</p>