Middle Hitters who are Dominating this Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Middle hitters across Oregon are contributing majorly to their teams this season, even with the challenging tasks they face of having to cover and block the length of the net and stay in sync with their setters to run quick plays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below are some of the middle hitters who are helping lead their teams to success this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6346215bc0731","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["91319"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Committed: University of Notre Dame</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As one of the captains for LaSalle's varsity team, it comes as no surprise that 6'2" Maulding is one of the top middle hitters in the state this season. Maulding has helped lead her team to a 12-2 overall record and a 10-1 league record, posting 22 kills in her team's recent match against Wilsonville. She's already notched an incredibly impressive 282 kills for the season and has a .457 hitting percentage, putting her as one of the top attackers in the state. Not only is Maulding a huge weapon for LaSalle as a hitter, but she is also a talented blocker; she's racked up 56 total blocks this season. Maulding is a skilled player and has the court presence necessary to make her a strong teammate, too. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_634623e9c0732","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["91405"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Though she's trained as an outside hitter, Smith has been playing out of the middle this season for OES. It's no wonder that Smith made the 3A 2nd Team All-State last year, as she has shown off her great volleyball IQ this season. She reads the court well, makes smart plays on overpasses, and knows where to place the ball to score points for her team. Plus, Smith can put the ball away from any position in the front row. Smith has had a strong season so far and recently posted 12 kills against North Clackamas Christian, 19 kills against Catlin Gabel, and 3 kills versus Westside Christian. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_63462699c0733","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Reese Kincaid","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32924","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Central Catholic High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Athena Volleyball Academy","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Joining Central Catholic's varsity team as a freshman, Kincaid has already made huge waves this season. She's racked up an impressive 62 kills so far, putting her second on her team for total kills and fourth for overall hitting percentage. Kincaid has also posted 8 blocks this season and has helped lead Central Catholic to a 9-2 league record. Kincaid will be an athlete to watch over the next few years, especially as her court presence and leadership continue to grow. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_63462a3dc0734","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["161865"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As one of the state's leaders in total blocks as a sophomore, Kaino is an impressive athlete who has led her team to its 7-0 league record so far on the season. Kaino has amassed an amazing 95 total blocks, 21 of which have been solo blocks. She has also helped her team offensively, notching 207 kills with a .263 hitting percentage. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_63462f46c0736","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Jada Johnson","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"32924","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Jesuit High School","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Athena Volleyball Academy","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson is another freshman who is making a huge impact for her team. Johnson is quick on the block and has already established a strong connection with her setter, [player_tooltip player_id='161822' first='Jackie' last='Carle']. Johnson's athleticism has shined this season: Even on a team as talented as Jesuit's, Johnson comes in second on the team in blocks and fifth in attacks. She's posted 22 blocks and 65 kills this season with a .253 hitting percentage. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->