Marvelous Middles Take the Court at NorCal

Middles have a strenuous job on the court. It is a hard position and not everyone can do it. There is a wide range of skills between middles. Some are more offensive minded and can dominate at the net with impressive kills, while others shine on the defensive end, stopping opponents in their tracks. Many others make an impact through their presence, serving as the backbone of the team and making those around them elevate their games. Below are some of the middles that brought their A games to the court and impressive for one or multiple of these reasons.   Remember to follow me on Instagram @Prepdigamy and Facebook @PrepDig Amy for up to date event coverage, stories, and more.    Bernard is a fantastic middle who knows how to leverage her impressive vertical and quickness to make her a force to be reckoned with on the court. She showcased excellent court awareness, fluidly reading the ball and moving seamlessly from pin to pin closing the block or securing well timed block touches that the backcourt easily handled. Additionally, she has an arsenals of shots that she can unload, especially since she knows how to maneuver to get herself available for her setter on nearly every play.     Karp is an aggressive middle with a big presence. At a 6'3”, her she knows how to use that impressive reach to her advantage. She can put up a solid block as well as get to those pesky ill placed balls that come too close to the net, which bailed out her backrow many times and allowed her to keep plays alive. In addition to being highly effective on the defensive end, Karp has a smooth transition and can run effective routes makes her a threat on both offense and defense. She also showcased excellent awareness of her setter, positioning herself and transitioning correctly so she did not obstruct the offense. Her height, reach, and court awareness allowed her to greatly impact her court and be a huge part of her team's success.     Mendoza is a talented young middle blocker who demonstrated both strong defense and offensive skills. She has a quick snap and fast arm swing which allowed her to generate significant power. She also contacted the ball at a high point which allowed her to get up and over many of the defenders on the day. Mendoza also showcased an excellent vertical as well as superb court awareness as she consistently read the block in front of her. While she is a young, she plays with a skill level and tenacity well beyond her age, making a player with a tremendous future ahead.     Morton is an agile and versatile middle who made a huge impact at the net. Her speed and quick reactions coupled allow her to move smoothly and cover a large section of the net. She made getting her hands on every ball look easy. She was able to successfully close several blocks and was able to get tons of block touches as well, which demonstrated both how good she anticipates and reacts to the opposition. Middles with solid overall skills are hard to come by but she possesses the trifecta of speed, agility, and versatility.     Santos-Stevenson is a solid middle and one of the more versatile ones that I saw on the day, proving to be an offensive and defensive weapon as well as a middle that can drop back and pass if need be. She had a strong presence at the net with big, well timed blocks, and demonstrated versatility on the offensive end by hitting to both corners as well as going around the block with well placed tips. She showcased what it means to mix power and finesse.     Jackson was a middle who showcased a tremendous amount of hustle, grit, and intensity. She demonstrated solid court awareness, which allowed her to react quickly and make smart plays at the net. One of her strengths was that she knew how to effectively use opponents' to her advantage, routinely banging balls off their hands for points. She also proved to be a disruptive presence as she forced many opposing hitters to make adjustments in their swings. Beyond her individual contributions on the court, she kept the confidence of her team high as she was always by being vocal and cheering on her teammates.

Middles have a strenuous job on the court. It is a hard position and not everyone can do it. There is a wide range of skills between middles. Some are more offensive minded and can dominate at the net with impressive kills, while others shine on the defensive end, stopping opponents in their tracks. Many others make an impact through their presence, serving as the backbone of the team and making those around them elevate their games. Below are some of the middles that brought their A games to the court and impressive for one or multiple of these reasons.