UHSAA Breakdown: Frontline Defensive Standouts

Another position we look to examine are the middle blockers who are the hardest workers on the court and can be the biggest difference makers on their teams. This group of athletes excelled in their divisions, posting some impressive numbers both this season and throughout their careers. Some of these players are well on their way to establishing themselves as dominant forces in this position, while others are right on the cusp of doing so. This article highlights both the 3A and 4A recipients who received an all-state award.   3A Second Team    [player_tooltip player_id='812621' first='Daijah' last='Willoughby'] from Delta posted 208 kills on the season, hitting .282% with 91 blocks. She has a high reach and contact point that helps her turn the ball back to 1 or swing hard to zone 5. She works hard to get off the net and make herself an option, and has a good range of shots to score if the hard swing is not available. With just being a sophomore, I am excited to see how she continues to develop over this club season and the next few seasons to come.     On the season, [player_tooltip player_id='815235' first='Kenna' last='Buss'] hit a .307%, putting her at #15 overall, with 245 kills and 57 blocks. To reiterate, she can be an effective scorer with the range she has so far developed and has the potential to continue expanding upon. She has good technique and mechanics as a blocker and attacker, and has good sense of timing on both sides of the game. Kenna has solid footwork that helps her track the ball off the setter and put up big blocks. In the two years she played varsity for the Morgan Trojans, she posted a .271%, 468 kills, and 117 blocks.    3A Third Team    Standing at 6'3, [player_tooltip player_id='810772' first='Alyssa' last='Haller'] from Canyon View earned a Third Team placement amongst the other recipients. In her career with the Falcons, she totaled 194 kills, hit a .233%, and 61 blocks. She has good sense of timing in front of her setter and demonstrates the ability to score in various ways, whether it be tooling the block or finding an empty zone to swing in.     In her career with Delta, [player_tooltip player_id='812662' first='Danica' last='Rowlette'] posted 466 kills with 186 blocks. She has good power and can terminate when she gets on top of the ball. Her transition is fast, and she has the ability to get to the ball quickly and swing. Danica can score in a variety of ways, even when there is four hands in front of her.    4A Second Team    In [player_tooltip player_id='826159' first='Emma' last='Nelson']'s final season, she totaled 150 blocks, placing her at #2 overall and #57 nationally. As an attacker, she hit a .322% (#12 overall) on 255 kills. In her career with the Flyers, she posted 417 kills, hit .304%, and had 214 blocks.   Emma has a good sense of timing and spacing that she consistently utilizes across different sets. She transitions hard and can quickly get back into her approach to take a swing. Her footwork in her approach is efficient and explosive, which helps her generate good power into her torque. She presses hard at the net and has a good first step to track and close.    4A Third Team    [player_tooltip player_id='836097' first='Meliana' last='Chrisman'] is special in the way that her versatility on the court helps her stand out. I did previously write about her, but to reiterate, she has solid power, mechanics, technique, and skill that helps her excel at whatever position she is placed in. This season, Mel would set for a few rotations, maybe swing on the right, block in the middle, pass in serve receive, and play defense. She posted 262 kills, hit a .241%, had 92 total blocks, 222 digs, and 417 assists.    4A Honorable Mention    [player_tooltip player_id='897621' first='Wren' last='Bingham'] so far has posted 183 kills, hitting a .294% and totaling 51 blocks. She has the power, athleticism, and speed to truly flourish as a middle blocker. Her movement across the net is intentional, and her transition to approach is efficient. In the 2025 season for the Riverhawks, Wren had 183 kills, hit a .294, and had 51 blocks.     For her second season playing on varsity, [player_tooltip player_id='894197' first='Callie' last='Eudis'] posted 132 kills, hit a .225%, and had 59 total blocks for the Tigers. She is also another athlete that I have previously evaluated, but to restate, Callie has the potential, power, size, and mechanics to dominate this position. Not only can she excel in the middle, but she also has the experience and skill to excel on the right. She is an athlete I look forward to seeing how she continues to develop.    I did not get the chance to see these players in action this high school season or could not find recent film of them playing, but the magnitude of these awards does not deserve to go unrecognized, and I look forward to seeing them on the court! Below are the players who were also selected as standouts for their division this season.   Autumn Oldroyd (2026) - North Sanpete, 3A First Team, .402%, 233 kills and 41 blocks,   Lauretta Taukiuvea (2026) - Ogden, 3A Honorable Mention, .209%, 196 kills, and 41 blocks   [player_tooltip player_id='897963' first='Payton' last='King'] (2026) - Canyon view, 3A Honorable Mention, .204%, 62 kills, and 18 blocks   [player_tooltip player_id='818579' first='Sarah' last='Janney'] (2026) - Providence Hall, 3A Honorable Mention, .172%, 121 kills, and 50 blocks   Kaylin Elton (2026) - Grantsville, 3A Honorable Mention, .241%, 140 kills, and 91 blocks   [player_tooltip player_id='807312' first='Shawni' last='Larson'] (2027) - Cedar City, 4A Honorable Mention, .190%, 207 kills, and 58 blocks

Another position we look to examine are the middle blockers who are the hardest workers on the court and can be the biggest difference makers on their teams. This group of athletes excelled in their divisions, posting some impressive numbers both this season and throughout their careers. Some of these players are well on their way to establishing themselves as dominant forces in this position, while others are right on the cusp of doing so. This article highlights both the 3A and 4A recipients who received an all-state award.