Class of 2024 Florida Rankings: Intriguing Middles Pt. 1
In this article:
The middle position is probably one of if not the hardest position to play in high level volleyball whether that be youth, college, or professionally. The middles that I added to the rankings list have shown me the ability to…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe middle position is probably one of if not the hardest position to play in high level volleyball whether that be youth, college, or professionally. The middles that I added to the rankings list have shown me the ability to play the position and have the talent to really push themselves to the next level. Although the position traditionally required its athletes to just swing and block, these prospects have shown a level of confidence at other skills including digging in the backrow and even a set or two. The four prospects I am going to be talking about really exude what the new look is for the middle hitter position.
Teyhlor Thomas Teyhlor Thomas 5'11" | MB Cardinal Gibbons | 2024 State FL (#67)
Teyhlor is an absolute powerhouse at the position. She is the type of player that can take the energy from opposing teams just from her sheer size and athleticism. When she blocks you it doesn’t just go up and then slowly hit the floor. Her blocks are usually straight down with speed. That just shows me her elite athleticism and length to be able to reach that far up and over the net when blocking the opposing hitter. Getting straight down blocks are great and all, but what makes her exceptional is her ability to read the setter and her hitter to take away the correct area at the right time. Not only is she a devastating blocker, but gives her setter and team an offensive option. Offensively she uses her length and athleticism to almost wait in the air for the right space and time to swing. Although it seems like she can just float and wait in the air, she sets herself up to be in a ready position to swing early and fast if needed. Having the combination of changing her swing timing while keeping control of the ball is just one of the few reasons why we see Teyhlor get pushed up high into the rankings. When you take the blocking and hitting that Teyhlor brings to the table, it makes sense why she is such a focal point for her high school and club teams. She is the type of player that can impact not just a team but really change the dynamic of the program because of the intangibles that come with an athlete this skilled.
Madison Sofarelli Madison Sofarelli 6'2" | MB Bloomingdale | 2024 State FL (#74)
Madison, like Teyhlor is a long and athletic middle. She uses her height and length to her advantage especially on the offensive end. She may not be the most technically sound player that you’ll see on my rankings, but she brings the other intangible assets that coaches can’t look away from. When it comes to the middle hitter being efficient and effective on offense for me it comes down to her ability to make quick decisions and to execute the decision they make. Madison is that middle who’s able to make the decision and commit to it with everything she has got. As much as the intangibles intrigue me, she definitely has enough technical skill to really push her teams to utilizing her as a main offensive option. One of the things I noticed when I was able to coach against her was her ability to see the block and defense in front of her. She was consistently able to take advantage of the space we would leave open on the court. As much as I love her offensive game, she has so much room to grow in that aspect of the game. The other side of the ball when she is defending the net is where she finds a ton of success as well. It’s the combination of height, length, athleticism, and most important her ability to read the court. Being able to read the court allows her to use her athleticism and react quickly to what’s happening for the opposing offense. Madison is a great overall player and has a ton of room to grow in her next endeavor at the collegiate level.
Camryn Teasley Camryn Teasley 5'11" | MB Horizon | 2024 State FL (#107)
Camryn is a very unique prospect at the middle hitter position because there’s not a lot of other players with her athletic and long build. Her length is a different level even compared to the two prospects talked about previously. The difference with Camryn is that she has such a long arm span that she’s able to use that length to hit up and over blocks both from the pin and from the middle of the court. She’s the type of player that you see jumping up and over opposing defenders with ease. She isn’t the most skilled player on the rankings list, but the things that Camryn is good at are at a high enough level that the combination of her athletic profile and her proficiency in certain skills definitely put her up into the rankings list. When looking at her individual skills, the one skill that really stands out to me is her reach on her swing. She has a fluid arm swing that extends really high allowing her to hit over the blocks. She keeps her shoulder nice and lose so that she can rotate and use her body together with her swing to really drive through the ball. She has also shown the ability to slow the ball down and push, tip, or roll to an open spot on the court. Her ability on the offensive end only is accentuated when you look at her blocking. She’s able to go up and watch the hitter on her way up so that once the hitter contacts the ball she can press and redirect the ball back into the court. When looking at her game overall it makes sense why Camryn was able to move up and into my rankings.
Savannah Schwartz Savannah Schwartz 6'1" | MB Strawberry Crest | 2024 State FL (#121)
I have had the pleasure of coaching Savannah a little over a year ago. She’s a versatile player who can excel both in the middle and on the right side of the court. She is a heavy handed middle hitter who really uses her body to close her shoulders and body through the ball. She may not be the fastest or quickest middle in my rankings, but her IQ for the game allows her to still make big plays on the ball both defensively blocking and offensively hitting the ball. Looking at her offensive game, the one thing that stands out to me is her ability to change up shots and swings depending on the defense in front of her. She has a great understanding of defenses and spaces that are open so she uses her shots to try to take advantage of those spaces. When she does decide to swing she has the balance and awareness to turn and drive through both sides of the court. She mainly will hit the ball hard and deep which is a really hard ball to dig coming out of the middle. Getting behind the ball versus on top of the ball allows her to really use her length and size to find the spaces between blocks or to go away and across her body. She can run the whole offensive route tree and really excels in front of the setter when running a quicker ball. When you take a look at her blocking she is a little up to down when reaching over the net but has great positioning and timing. She allows herself to press fast over the net so it hides where the block is going to finish. I can’t wait to see what Savannah does for her club team this season and the opportunities she will have to grow at the next level.
To conclude, the middle hitter position is one that doesn’t get the recognition they deserve based on the difficulty and the importance of the position. Even though they mostly only play three rotations, these prospects are able to make an impact given the short amount of time they are allotted to show those skills. Each of these prospects is going to have a chance to do great things at the next level.