Five ’25 Middles That Other Middles Should Emulate

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Moving right along in our positional breakdown, we have five middles from five different clubs that have shown out this club season. Here they are, in no particular order, with the skills that they will bring in the future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='155089' first='Lilly' last='Howell'], 6-2, Burris, Munciana</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A fast and athletic 2nd team All State honoree, Lilly has always found a home on the top team in each age group she's played. She's a two-footed stud, meaning that her M2 skills are nearly perfected and that she does well with a setter that stays in a fast tempo and can set her high enough. I like her transition footwork as well---too many times middles separate themselves by NOT putting in the work to transition and be available to hit. Miss Howell doesn't have that problem. I don't think she <em>ever </em>has.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='152945' first='Harper' last='Holden'], 6-0, Greenfield Central, Academy</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From east of Indianapolis, Harper is a big, strong and broad-shouldered middle that can defend from pin to pin with ease. She uses that length to her advantage on defense, and her high attack point makes any set in front of the setter a terminal point. I like her attitude as well; last summer league, she had to step in and play multiple positions regularly, without complaint. She's likable, coachable and getting better with each rep.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='172329' first='Stella' last='Terpening'], 6-2, Westfield, Circle City</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing up on the 17-1, most recently seen in Detroit at the Can-Am, Stella is an M1 through and through. She's putting away balls on a regular basis at the open level a full age group ahead of her own. I like her high and fast arm swing, as she whips it through the hitting zone and beats most blocks because of it. She uses her long strides to defend from pin to pin quickly, and has improved a ton in the short amount of time that I've seen her play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='192113' first='Ava' last='Tindall'], 6-0, Homestead, [program_tooltip program_id='430155' first='Team' last='Pineapple']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the Fort Wayne area, Ava is a reliable and strong M2 for the top 16s team at TP. She's more defensive-minded than the others on this list, and read-blocks better than anyone I've seen in this age group. She's constantly getting touches on blocks and slows balls down for her defenders, and transitions well even after defending. For her size, she'd be a great catch for anyone looking for an immediate plug-and-play option for the fall of '25. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='274410' first='Addison' last='Makun'], 6-5, Silver Creek, KIVA</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Going across the Ohio River to get high-level training is one thing. To be a starting middle on the 16-1 at KIVA is completely another. Addison is a 1st team All-State honoree, and is fast and athletic, regardless of her size. She attacks at a height that others in this age group just can't get to, blocks attackers like it's easy, and is highly coachable. True, you can't teach size, but Miss Makun isn't just "a big kid"---she's <em>really</em> good, and only getting better with each match I see her play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->