Five Available Middles From The Class Of ’26

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Moving right along with our positional breakdowns after the release of the rankings, we cover the biggest kids and what they bring to the table. Here are five middles with five distinctly unique skill sets that are available for a commitment from the class of 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='355575' first='Avery' last='Lewis'], 6-0, Cathedral</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The M1 for one of the top 3A teams in the state, Avery is a long, lean and fast middle that could play either middle position because of her excellence attacking in front of and behind the setter. I like the length on her, as she appears taller than she actually is. That length of hers also helps when blocking, as she takes long strides from pin to pin to close blocks with ease.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='228833' first='Addi' last='Shippy'], 5-10, Fort Wayne Carroll</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>More of a natural M2 because of her quick two-footed approach, this is another long and lean middle that transitions from defense to offense faster than anyone on this list today. Being ready to hit at all times is the hallmark of a reliable middle, and Addi has certainly showcased her reliability in the early season thus far. She is capable of hitting behind the setter, too, making her that much more of a recruitable asset in the middle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='298600' first='Maddie' last='Herman'], 6-0, Zionsville</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like the Eagles need more length and height on their volleyball roster, Maddie is part of a stable of tall and athletic volleyball players that never seem to be set high enough. Quick and lithe, Maddie spent this past club season with TI's 17-1 absolutely owning the middle with her length. She's fast on transition, uses a max jump on every attempt, and has long enough arms to cover up for her possibly being a bit narrow on the block. She's got a better slide attack than most in this class, which is why she would fit right in as an M1 that has a setter setting faster-tempo balls to the right pin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='301135' first='Karen' last='Dutro'], 6-1, Columbus North</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have seen Karen be an adept M2 for years----until the summer league had her hitting high balls on the left pin. Her adjustment will take some time, but knowing that she could easily play as an M2 or as a three-rotation outside at the next level ups the ante on how recruitable this young lady is. She's already attacking at ten feet, but to do it from multiple positions makes her that much better.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='301137' first='Samantha' last='Adams'], 6-2, Carmel</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Big and physical, Miss Adams will be a solid M2 for a team looking to pair a big right side with her. Her long arms help to close blocks, and her broad shoulders assist in powering through smaller, less disciplined middle defenders. They say that you can't teach size, and Samantha certain has plenty of it for the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->