Middle Hitter Breakdown From Spring 2027 Rankings

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>*Prep Dig Michigan will be hosting two Showcase events on Sunday, Aug. 3. You can now register for the </em><a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/1540/register/michigan-freshman-showcase"><em>Michigan Freshman Showcase</em></a><em> or the </em><a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/1521/register/michigan-stock-up-showcase"><em>Michigan Stock Up Showcase</em></a><em>. Use code “EllisDig2025” to get $10 off your registration.*</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last week, we made another update to our&nbsp;<a href="https://prepdig.com/michigan/rankings/2027-rankings/">Class of 2027 Player Rankings</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, it's time to take a closer look at each position. Middle hitters have a wide range of talent in this class, with it being one of the strongest for the Grand Rapids area.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a breakdown of what the middles look like in 2027.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/position-ranking-table {"name":"acf/position-ranking-table","data":{"class":"2027","_class":"field_65cfb7374abb9","position":"32924","_position":"field_65cfbfcb19ad6","national_rankings":"0","_national_rankings":"field_660c1d73c0e49","state":"19892","_state":"field_65cfb88a603fe"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67ed9dd5407be"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Top 5 Middle Hitters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>1. [player_tooltip player_id='442976' first='Cynthia' last='Ockerman'], Brighton/Legacy: </strong>A 6'3” towering middle, Ockerman moves really well for her length, which allows her to be a dominant force on both sides of the net. She's got great timing and court awareness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id='490373' first='Kate' last='Colosky'], Portage Central/FaR Out: </strong>Colosky is stepping up her competition level over the last year and doing a great job of raising her level of play. She's got big lift off the floor and comes down hard over the ball to give defenders little chance to dig up her attacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3. [player_tooltip player_id='464378' first='Ava' last='Bush-Nelson'], Jenison/FaR Out: </strong>The 6'1” Bush-Nelson has done a good job of utilizing all of her length. She plays well above the net and is a big force with her blocking. She can also play the right side thanks to her smooth footwork.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>4. [player_tooltip player_id='442228' first='Avery' last='Thorp'], Plainwell/FaR Out: </strong>Thorp does a nice job of covering a lot of space along the net. She makes herself wide with her long wingspan and disrupts a lot of opposing attacks. Thorp also does a nice job of seeing the floor and knowing where to place the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>5. [player_tooltip player_id='523905' first='Madisyn' last='Bowman'], Plymouth Christian/Michigan Elite: </strong>Bowman generates a lot of power with little effort. She doesn't need a big swing to hammer the ball, which allows her to sneak some quick attacks past the defense. Bowman also plays with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Others To Watch</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442999' first='Olivia' last='Berishaj'], Eisenhower/Legacy: </strong>Berishaj makes the most out of her opportunities, as she delivers with power and accuracy and brings good energy to the court. She still has a high ceiling for where her skills can go.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='516948' first='Lola' last='Brown'], St. Francis/Northshore: </strong>Brown is still a little raw on the floor, but there's a lot of promising talent there. She's got the length at 6'2” and is working to be more comfortable and instinctive on the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523848' first='Nicole' last='McDowell'], Notre Dame Prep/Legacy: </strong>McDowell can also play the outside, and the 6'1” hitter has proven she can take on a big workload and finish at a high rate. She's got a high court IQ and a desire to be great.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='586777' first='Nemiah' last='Carper'], Roscommon: </strong>One of the strong players in Northern Michigan, Carper is a solid all-around athlete that can dominate the volleyball floor. She's got tremendous hang time and an athletic swing that makes her a handful for opponents.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sophie Perkins, North Farmington/High Performance: </strong>Perkins can play the middle or outside. Her timing and awareness are showing improvement with each month. She makes a lot of good hustle plays to complement her consistent attacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->