Unstoppable Middles Dominate GEICO Girls Volleyball Invite

What a group of middle blockers.   We already knew that the GEICO Girls Volleyball Invite would feature a stout field of middle blockers, but this position group was even more impactful than I anticipated. I had already seen many of these middles during this year's club season, and those athletes have all seemingly reached another level this fall. Player development is fascinating to watch.   So, let's revisit some of the middle talents that lit up the TV screens last weekend.     High-End Middles   These players made sure to bring their best when the cameras were rolling.   First of all, I don't know if it's possible for opposing teams to slow down [player_tooltip player_id='98990' first='Zeta' last='Washington'], Ponte Vedra's senior leader. We had mentioned that Washington carried a ridiculous 0.632 season hitting percentage heading into last weekend, and this tournament provided some insight into how this number is possible.   Washington is unstoppable. She hits the kind of sharp angles that few backcourt defenders can reach. Even if you commit two blockers to Washington on the quick, she will find a way to go around or over the hands to render the block ineffective. And, when the Sharks need a quick side out, Washington can even split out to the left pin and terminate there.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1578530101154586625?s=20&t=Eksv7bA4K-27lpxSpl-aQA </div></figure>   Better yet, Ponte Vedra's strength in the middle doesn't stop with Washington. On the other side of the rotation, junior Chelsea Sutton provides the length and lateral quickness to be a scoring threat on a variety of routes. She seized several opportunities to show her prowess on the slide, which gave the Sharks a multi-faceted offense that was difficult to read and block.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1578531826905145344?s=20&t=Eksv7bA4K-27lpxSpl-aQA </div></figure>   Elite middle play was a coast-to-coast phenomenon. While Ponte Vedra represented the strength of the east, Cathedral Catholic brought firepower from the Golden State. Unsurprisingly, the Dons gave plenty of opportunities to Michigan commit [player_tooltip player_id='162773' first='Jenna' last='Hanes'] last weekend. The junior had an impressive club campaign with COAST this year, and that has helped yield a huge attacking role with her top-ranked high school team. Like Washington, Hanes is best in front of the setter and can find ways to score no matter how many hands are in front of her. And, when Hanes is not in the frontcourt, senior standout [player_tooltip player_id='161449' first='Ryleigh' last='Patterson'] does an excellent job keeping the middle offense rolling.   Now that we've discussed athletes from both ends of the country, let's check in with last weekend's home team. Papillion-La Vista South has a veteran group at middle blocker that I've really enjoyed covering over the past few seasons. [player_tooltip player_id='152854' first='Morgan' last='Bode'], a South Dakota commit, proved how important it is for the Titans to have her on the floor. She is a steady frontcourt leader who makes some great blocking reads. That's in addition to Bode's ever-present influence as a go-to attacker in front of the setter.   Across the Papio South lineup, senior Ava Greene continues to develop within this powerhouse program. The Concordia (NE) commit is so proficient at the little things. Those contributions cannot be overlooked, even among Papio South's huge stable of impressive hitters. Greene's consistency in making quality contacts is an indispensable part of the Titans' success in 2022, and those skills will surely suit her well at the next level.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1578500180923797504?s=20&t=Eksv7bA4K-27lpxSpl-aQA </div></figure>   We can draw some parallels between Papio South and Skyview, both of which have impactful upperclassmen at the middle blocker spot. The visitors from Nampa, ID, leaned on senior Brinley Perrine and junior Emylie Gwyn at the position, and each of these veterans worked hard to be available offensive options in transition. I was also fascinated to see the Hawks make frequent use of combination plays that put these middles in a variety of gaps and routes along the net.

What a group of middle blockers.