Top Five Middles From State Championship Saturday

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Use code KypExpo2024 for savings off of your registration to our Top 250 Expo December 7!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eight teams, sixteen middles. All of them doing the dirty work and being unsung heroines for their respective squads. Here they are---five middles from five different schools that made major differences to help their teams win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#5: Mackenzie Kruer, Roncalli (Michigan State soccer, '25)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, let me get this straight. The kid who DOESN'T play for her school's soccer team is a Big Ten soccer talent, AND she gets the championship winning kill this past Saturday? What an absolute athletic talent this kid is, and what a pleasure to have covered her this past fall. Her seven kills, plus the match winner, were key in keeping Angola honest defensively throughout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#4: [player_tooltip player_id='502826' first='Lola' last='Sasse'], Carroll ('26)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although listed as 5-11 in multiple publications, no middle played bigger and with more presence in the 4A final than Lola. She's long, lean, quick, and can hit either in front of or behind the setter. She's smart with shots, but can hammer a few when needed. In short, her eight kills and 4 blocks in three sets against Yorktown was more than a lot of middles had against the Tigers this post season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#3: [player_tooltip player_id='297945' first='Shanese' last='Williams'], Yorktown ('25)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I put Miss Williams here because of her club position and all of the middle-related things she can do. I realize that some of her kills came on the pins on Saturday, making her a prime three-rotation right side or middle. That being said, you can't deny the talent and athleticism that Shanese brought to Ball State on Saturday---13 kills and no errors in a three set loss, hitting well over .500. I had mentioned earlier last week that the Tigers would need a strong supporting cast against Carroll. Miss Williams did that and more at the exact time they needed her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#2: [player_tooltip player_id='487350' first='Emmerson' last='Gott'], Western Boone ('26)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Western Boone is NOT tall. When you ARE the big kid, however, you are forced into the spotlight to do big kid things all the time without fail. That being said, no player had more than Miss Gott's five blocks in any of the four state title matches. Having length for days and an innate ability to constantly be around the ball was a HUGE help for the Stars to earn their first state title in volleyball. I've watched and written about her development over the past year or so, and her improvement has been meteoric since the beginning of club last season. The sky's the limit for this young lady.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#1: [player_tooltip player_id='603158' first='Rachel' last='Bonde'], Trinity Lutheran ('28)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is very little deception to the Cougars offense. Here we are, here's what we do, try and stop us. To earn that elusive first title, however, you're going to have to do a little extra. How about seven kills and four blocks from the freshman middle? The poise and composure just to BE in Worthen Arena has flattened the confidence of many an upperclassman over the years, but Rachel was unfazed by the bright lights. She had every shot in the book, from heavy hitting to smart placement. She's an intimidating presence at the net. She's STRONG. You'll notice, as I have over the years, that very few underclassmen succeed as middles because of the work ethic, the stamina and the strength required to do so. Rachel is already there, and she has a full three high school seasons and four club seasons to go. I saw this type of play from her against 4A power Center Grove a few months ago, and to know that she's improved since then is scary.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->