Rising Stars: The Top 2027 Middle Hitters to Watch in Class 3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the competitive landscape of Class 3 volleyball, a new generation of standout middle hitters is making waves. This article highlights six impressive athletes who are poised to dominate the court. From [player_tooltip player_id='809590' first='Claire' last='Sallee']'s powerful blocking and aggressive attacks to [player_tooltip player_id='828205' first='Dorothy' last='Durrill']'s record-breaking performances, these players demonstrate physical prowess. [player_tooltip player_id='809519' first='Aryana' last='Spry'], [player_tooltip player_id='809579' first='Charlee' last='Pollard'], [player_tooltip player_id='828282' first='Kylie' last='Barnard'], and [player_tooltip player_id='815610' first='Laney' last='Rowe'] each contribute their own strengths, promising to elevate their teams' performances. As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on these emerging talents as they strive to leave their mark at their respective schools.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809590' first='Claire' last='Sallee'] – 6'0” – Osage</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a middle! Claire is the returning top blocking middle from Class 3 for the&nbsp;2027 class with 92. Add in her fierce attacking, where she finished with 288 kills, and Claire is not only a top blocker but one of the top attackers as well. Claire is a punisher out of the middle, and her aggressiveness is something to watch. I look for Claire to be one of the top middles in Class 3 for the next two seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='828205' first='Dorothy' last='Durrill'] – 6'3” – MICDS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Rams are not district champs for the first time in school history without a terminator out of the middle like May. A physical middle who finished second in both kills and blocks for 2027s in Class 3 with 420 kills and 86 blocks. She owns the single-season kill record, single-season hitting percentage at .507% and was the school's first-ever all-state volleyball player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809519' first='Aryana' last='Spry'] – 6'1” – Savannah</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Savages have a savage in the middle in Aryana who already has 143 career blocks and hasn't come close to reaching her full potential. A long and athletic middle who celebrates her teammates' success more than her own. She finished with 242 kills last season and has helped Savannah to a 54-15-5 record in her first two seasons. Expect big things this season!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='809579' first='Charlee' last='Pollard'] – 5'11” – Summit Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a beast! Charlee can play anywhere on the court for Summit and played mostly opposite during the club season for PVA 16 Elite. Charlee has a cannon on her and will cause headaches all season by exploiting teams with her athleticism and physicality. A six-rotation player finished with 174 kills and 102 digs. I expect Charlee's numbers to skyrocket this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='828282' first='Kylie' last='Barnard'] – 5'10” – St. Clair</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kylie is coming off an excellent club season with SMVA 15, where she was the team's top hitter out of the middle. A power swinger with great footwork to the pins helped Kylie finish the season with 174 kills and 80 blocks. Kylie is a natural blocker and already sits with 172 career blocks after two seasons for the Bulldogs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='815610' first='Laney' last='Rowe'] – 6'3” – Pleasant Hill</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Laney has shown great strides in her offensive game with KC [program_tooltip program_id='428823' first='Voltage' last=''] and should help the Chicks be a top Class 3 team once again. In her first season on varsity, Laney finished with 143 kills to go along with 67 blocks. What has put Laney on this list is her improvement offensively over the winter, and she&nbsp;should be a bigger force offensively for Pleasant Hill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->