Updated ’25 Rankings: Five Middles You Need To See
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Our final positional analysis for the class of ’25 updated rankings gives us five middles that excel no matter what team they’re on. Each of these athletes play bigger than their frame, and each are already seeing attention from the…
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Continue ReadingOur final positional analysis for the class of ’25 updated rankings gives us five middles that excel no matter what team they’re on. Each of these athletes play bigger than their frame, and each are already seeing attention from the next level.
Reese Dunkle Reese Dunkle 6'3" | MB Center Grove | 2025 State #31 Nation IN , 6-3, Center Grove, Circle City
Bigger than her frame, indeed. Reese is a strong and fast middle that can defend from pin to pin with the best of them. It’s one thing to be 6-3, but it’s completely another to use that length and speed to make the blocks irrelevant. I like her coachability, her work ethic and her character. An elite athlete who’s willing to work hard regardless of who’s coaching? Sign me up.
Harper Holden Harper Holden 6'0" | MB Greenfield Central | 2025 State IN , 6-0, Greenfield Central, Academy
Harper is a big and strong M2 that excels off of two feet. She takes up a ton of space at the net when blocking, and also defends well from pin to pin. Her long strides and high contact point make her appear taller than six feet, while her fast and heavy arm makes her even harder to block.
Lilly Howell Lilly Howell 6'2" | MB Muncie Burris | 2025 State IN , 6-2, Burris, Munciana
Staying with our theme of exceptional M2’s, Lilly is Muncie Burris and Munciana trained, through-and-through. A high and fast contact point is her calling card, and gets up quicker than the block can react. Even in highlights against state champion Wapahani, she was beating blocks that committed to blocking Miss Howell early, and were still unsuccessful. If you know the set is coming and still can’t stop her, that’s an exceptional attacker, in this author’s eyes.
Ava Gutt Ava Gutt 5'11" | MB Hamilton Southeastern | 2025 State IN , 5-11, Hamilton Southeastern, Academy
Quick to jump and quick to attack, Ava is the only kid on this list that could excel at two positions, if you include right side. I like her two-footed approach and her jumping ability, and makes up for her smaller stature immediately with her athleticism. Whether as an M2 or as a right side, Ava is hard to keep up with, as I consider her to be one of the fastest and highest jumping middles at Academy.
Stella Terpening Stella Terpening 6'2" | MB Westfield | 2025 State IN , 6-2, Westfield, Circle City
I wrote back in August that Stella transferred to Circle. What I didn’t know is what team she would be playing for. On 16 Purple, most likely opposite Miss Dunkle listed above, Stella can hammer from either in front of or behind the setter with ease, and does it with speed and length. Hard work, speed and intensity is what you get from Stella, and her ceiling is limitless.