Prep Dig Expo KC: Top 5 Class of 2027 Middle Hitters

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Dig Expo hosted at Dynasty Volleyball Club in Kansas City featured some of the best prospects in the area. The expo gives current high school and club athletes the opportunity to showcase their skills to Prep Dig and college scouts. From watching the expo I found five middle blocker prospects that stood out and made an impact on the court. Each of these prospects have their own athletic profile and skill set that was on display throughout the Expo</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kyndal Jacobs </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kyndal is an intriguing athlete to watch. She's able to get off the ground so high and so quick that it's almost impossible for hitters to beat her block. She does a fantastic job of getting her hands over the net fast while being able to hold that position is impressive. The same quickness and bounce gives Kyndal the opportunity to wait and see the block set in front of her mid-air when attacking. While she's up in the air viewing the court and defenders in front of her she manages to swing and manipulate her arm to put the ball in the spot it needs to. She has a ton of potential both as a blocker working sideline to sideline and as a hitter working outside of the block. Kyndal has all of the athleticism to play at a high level in the next chapter of her playing career and has the potential to really grow her skills as a player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Gabrielle "Elle" Givens </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elle is a high IQ athlete who uses her athleticism and knowledge of the game to consistently take advantage of the situations she's put in. In defensive situations she has the lateral quickness and the ability to read setters to close blocks. In offensive situations she uses her vertical leap and dynamic arm swing to manipulate opposing defenses and take advantage of space that she's given. Watching her at the expo you could see her situational awareness really show anytime the drill required any 5v5 or 6v6 drills. In drills that she doesn't know her opponents let alone the girls on her side she showed her ability to be available and contributing to the group she was a part of. Elle is a very intriguing prospect that has a ton of room to grow into the athlete that college coaches are looking for. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='475326' first='Bailey' last='Hensgens'] </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bailey has the ability to hit with power and control off of one or two feet. A middle blocker having the ability to hit and execute from both approaches really gives them the opportunity to open up the offense for their team. Bailey gives herself the chance to attack smaller spots or angles needed to score consistently as a middle. At the expo Bailey showed me that no matter what she's asked to do she was able to understand and attempt to execute it. That level of discipline and competitiveness showed is exactly what college scouts look for in any athlete. The best skill I saw from Bailey consistently throughout the expo was her arm swing. She's able to rotate through her swing really fast while contacting the ball high above the plane of the net. Her potential as a middle is through the roof with the time she has to really round out her skill sets. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='485604' first='Jayla' last='Williams'] </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jayla reminds me of the song smooth criminal because of her ability to flow through her footwork. When you watch her approach to hit she doesn't use any extra movement or effort, but is able to execute it at a high level. She reminds me of a smooth criminal not just for her footwork but her deadly arm swing. She really uses her arm like a whip which puts defenses into really tough situations. When you have the ability to whip your arm like Jayla the defense has a really hard time reading her arm and can't make the right adjustments until it's too late. When you have the smooth yet effective footwork in combination with her whip like arm really puts Jayla in a tier of athlete and prospect that college coaches look for. I can't wait to see Jayla compete throughout her club season and really round out her skills to be a top class of 2027 prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='485602' first='Reagan' last='Tenholder'] </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Reagan is one of the few lefty middles you will find. Not only is it rare in general, it's even more rare to play the position at the level that she does. My favorite thing about watching lefty middles is their ability to cut the ball at different angles and with different spin that defenders just aren't used to playing against. Reagan has all of the skill to be able to execute different arm angles and contact points to beat or hit around blockers. Reagan isn't just a lefty with skills, she's a smart and dynamic hitter who really makes defenses key in on her. At the expo we saw her play multiple positions as well dominating on offense no matter what type of set she was given. She really is a diamond in the rough when it comes to lefty middles in the state of Missouri. The potential that Reagan has both as a middle and even on the pin with her skill set is really setting herself up for success in the college game. .</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Dig Expo is a great way for young athletes looking to play at the next level to be able to showcase their talents. I was very happy to see a high level of play happening throughout the expo especially when I got to really focus in on the middles. The middle position is one of if not the hardest position in volleyball and each of these five prospects showed why they can be major impacts for their current teams and their future college programs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->