Middle Magic at Top 250 Expo

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There was December magic right away during the first session of positions training at The Volleyball Academy on Saturday morning in LaVista, Nebraska. Let's take a look at some serious standouts from the Top 250 Expo:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is one middle I was anxious to see in person and she did not disappoint. 5 '11" Class of 2025 Addie Stewart has quick feet and is very vocal out of the middle. She runs the quick well and is strong. Stewart plants well and can paint either sideline. The Ponca junior hit quicks well during the machine gun drill and then began to connect with several different Expo setters. Stewart was explosive and quick and had great body control at the net. Keep her on your radar as she plays for Arena Club and then into her season finale at Ponca.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5 '9" [player_tooltip player_id='214049' first='Brinkley' last='McAdams'] Class of 2025 out of Weeping Water was impressive too. A little undersized in the middle, but jumps well and gets on top of the ball. She takes big swings and is aggressive. During team wash games she has a great jump float serve that got her a few aces. She is also capable of swinging from the back row with authority. She plays for Nebraska Juniors. She is one to keep tabs on for club and next season for the Indians.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taylor Schuester, a 5'10” Class of 2025 from Lincoln Southwest is another one who was in the spotlight on Saturday morning. Schuester jumps well and takes big swings as well. She too is vocal with both blocking and swinging. She could cause issues for both defenses and offenses this next fall for the Silver Hawks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A teammate of Schuester's and Class of 2025 5'11” [player_tooltip player_id='214041' first='Emily' last='Jochum'] is also one to keep an eye on. She ran the slide so well Saturday. Jochum really gets up to hit the ball, giving her good power and vision to find the open floor or the block. Her role may become bigger this next fall for the returning Class A State Champions. Last fall she had 13 kills in 12 sets played but had a hitting percentage of .565. Watch her this club season as she plays for Nebraska Juniors.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most impressive players of any position at the Expo was 6'1”&nbsp; Class of 2026 Middle [player_tooltip player_id='396732' first='Payton' last='Sullivan'] out of Hasting's St. Cecilia. Sullivan is so explosive, has a fast arm swing and has so many shots. She can hit the sharp angles or run the slide and hit the line. Sullivan stays behind her setter and plants well to give her lots of hitting options. What was also impressive was her ability to hit machine gun drill&nbsp; and then hit off of so many different setters. She had an instant connection, which can be hard in situations like this. Her ceiling is high! Keep her on your radar as we head into club season and into the fall for the Hawkettes. She plays for [program_tooltip program_id='428732' first='South' last='Central Volleyball Club'].&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The magic was seen on Saturday morning as the middles showcased all of their skills and talents both blocking and swinging. Overall I was really impressed with all of their instant connections to the various setters in a fast and furious setting. Loved their adaptability and flexibility. Keep an eye on these middles!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->