Rockville Block Party at the Top 250 Expo

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rockville, Maryland was hosting a “block party” this weekend for the Top 250 Expo DMV. Despite being a smaller group, the middle blockers shone bright at the Expo with several rising stars and under the radar players. Let's take a look at the middles from Saturday's Expo.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Georgetown Visitatation's 6 '1 " Middle [player_tooltip player_id='730592' first='Gabi' last='Donley'] was a strong and physical middle. She runs the quick in the middle with ease, but also takes huge swings on the pin. Love her fast arm and athleticism. She could effortlessly move pin to pin to block and during wash drills had several blocks. She had 15 total blocks and 99 kills this past fall. Her ceiling is high and has all the tools to be the complete package. She plays club volleyball for Mojo 15 Black. Keep tabs on her!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class of 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='731008' first='Aklexis' last='Akwara'] is a 6'0” Middle who has long levers and a fast arm swing. She is able to pounce on balls quickly with a quick wrist. Her biggest strength is her ability to block. She moves laterally well and is springy while blocking, getting several stuff blocks during drills. Akwara also has a great jump serve as well. The middle plays club for LVA 16-1. Keep her on your radar!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='587884' first='Charlotte' last='Dittmar'], a 2028 and 5'11” Middle blocker has a strong block. She has a great reach and is smart for a freshman. She has a beautiful swing and can also terminate from the pin. She had an impressive 138 kills on the season, 8 blocks and 34 ace serves. Dittmar will play club for Maryland Juniors this season. Really love her versatility and high ceiling!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>&nbsp;The versatility of Middle [player_tooltip player_id='728971' first='Mandela' last='Masimini'] playing floor defense or blocking is a huge upswing for this 6'3” freshman. She was hustling all over the floor and laying out for balls and reads hitters so well. Her strength was at the net blocking. When she swings she does a fantastic job of getting on top of the ball with a high contact point. Love her strength at the net! Keep tabs on this young middle during club as she plays for Virginia Juniors 15 Elite.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='728965' first='Rhylie' last='Wheeler'] is a 6'1” Middle Blocker from Bishop Mcnamara. She is a top notch blocker and really athletic. She has a fast arm and is hard to slow down. She plays club for Legacy 16u and is a sophomore. Look for her to continue to grow and develop this club season! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior [player_tooltip player_id='730598' first='Jordan' last='Ellis'] has hops and can get on top of the ball. She is strong and athletic. Ellis can run the quick 31 with ease. She will play club volleyball for 540 Volleyball Club Academy this season. Keep an eye out for her as she heads into her senior year!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lots of strong, exciting and dynamic players in the middle blocker position at the Expo. Being a middle blocker is hard work and takes a lot of timing to be great! It will be fun to see these athletes continue to grow, mature and take their game to the next level.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->