2026 Watch List: Impact Middles

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We talked about some of the pins that will make an immediate impact this club season, so why not talk about the bigger kids in the middle? Here are five athletes from five different clubs already turning heads during their freshman season in high school.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='261044' first='Natalie' last='Vance'], 6-0, Center Grove, Circle City</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After her solid showing at the Top 250 Expo we had a couple of weeks ago, Natalie should continue her consistent play for Circle's 15-1 squad in the spring. She hits high and hard and excels off of two feet, making her a solid M2 recruit for her future. Also, she uses those long legs to defend from pin to pin with ease.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='260993' first='Brenna' last='Storz'], 5-10, Franklin Central, Academy</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Athleticism pours from every fiber of Brenna's uniform. She's fast, terminal, and can do anything the taller middles can do. In some cases, her speed can beat those big, lumbering blocks, while she closes blocks with the best of them while defending. I'd like to see how Miss Storz develops this club season, and also see how she's used offensively. She should be fun to watch progress.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='251066' first='Elli' last='Strecker'], 6-2, Zionsville, Team Indiana</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The biggest on this list, some roster lists have her as a full 6-3. Either way, her length and strength seem to always be on display, and her high contact point make some blocks irrelevant. Defensively, even <em>if</em> she's a tad late from pin to pin, she makes up for it with her long legs and arms, and recovers well. Currently an exceptional M2 candidate at the next level, I hope to see some one-footed attacks this club season from Elli. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='228833' first='Addi' last='Shippy'], 5-9, Carroll, Empowered</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Easily the fastest in transition on this list, Addi has always looked up at the competition---and succeeded. Her speed, coupled with her high volleyball acuity, has got her far enough to start on varsity for her first full year in high school. Carroll is no joke of a program---they're constantly in the discussion for a state title every year. Now that she's getting training at Empowered, she can show off that speed and strength with more open-level ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='210191' first='Reese' last='Resmer'], 5-11, Noblesville, Boiler Juniors</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of the kids on this list, it means something when John Tawa, legendary prep volleyball analyst for Volleyball Magazine, give notice of your talents. With back-to-back titles at AAUs in both her 13s and 14s years, the sky's the limit for this hyper-athletic kid from Hamilton County. I mean, all Reese did was earn the MVP at 14 Open at AAUs last year. NBD. Need I say more?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->