PD Chi-Town Classic: Impact Middles

I love seeing a middle come in and just completely change the course of a match. It is usually with both blocks and being an offensive threat. When they can get established, it helps keep blockers paying attention to them and frees up their pins for better match-ups as well. Let's look at some of those big impact middles.    Boelk is an athlete playing up an age group, and she has found several ways to make an impact for a talented [program_tooltip program_id='428662' first='Wisconsin' last='Ice'] squad. This past weekend, she was rocking the middle, and we saw a very strategic and effective deep corner tip. Boelk has so much length and a solid vertical, which allows her to go over a lot of blockers. With that power, she has the responsibility of still finding the open court, and she does a great job executing.     Ciesielski isn't the biggest middle at the net but she is smart. She made a tip that was kept so tight to the net it was impossible to retrieve without going under. She does a nice job moving laterally and closing the block with her pins.     Brantley thrives at the net, and she does a great job getting a high contact on the ball and going over the opposing block. She also knows when to execute the tip to 4 and will do it expertly. Brantley stays patient as a blocker and uses quick footwork to get set. She gets a lot of touches on the block and helps take some pressure off her defense.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJe_5X0R1Gn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== </div></figure>     Nash is so fast off the ground, and I love her speedy footwork at the net. Her arm is just as fast as her feet, and she can light a fire for her team with one mighty swing. Nash the Flash would be my nickname for her because her armswing is SO fast! She goes hard after the edges of the court, and if you blink, you will miss it.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJh4Lr_Rn2x/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== </div></figure>     McGraw will find every corner of the court and keeps opponents guessing all match long. She has a wicked soft touch on the tip to 4, and she does a great job blocking at the net. McGraw has just enough patience on the overpass before directing the ball straight to the floor. She gets a ton of block touches, and she makes the most of them. If a set to the pin dies inside, she is just waiting for the attacker to go cross, where she seals the net and returns the ball. McGraw must be good at geometry because she was working all the angles with her attack, and whether she was working off the blocker's hands or not, she was finding a way to score.     Olson has a motor that just doesn't quit. She is closing blocks and running routes to make herself available, rally after rally. Olson was also hitting the deep corners with an off-speed ball that the defense just couldn't get a handle on. She also went on some serving runs and made some big defensive plays out of left back. Olson was doing a great job of finding the blockers and working sharp angles.     Schofield was really clicking with her setter on Sunday. She was loud and quick to her setter on the one ball and communicated well for the push ball. Schofield was quick off the ground and took a fast swing to burn the sideline. She also put up a monster block that gave a lot of attackers anxiety.     Wiederkehr works hard to patrol the net, and she's got quick lateral movement to close the block. She also has a gentle touch when needed to place the ball in just the right spot for the point.

I love seeing a middle come in and just completely change the course of a match. It is usually with both blocks and being an offensive threat. When they can get established, it helps keep blockers paying attention to them and frees up their pins for better match-ups as well. Let's look at some of those big impact middles.