Sweet Sixteen Middles Who Bring the Block

The middle position may be the most difficult position to play. It is difficult to find players who want to play middle Moving from one side of the court to the other to put up a block takes a lot of work. What makes it even more exhausting is the transition after the block where you have to prepare to hit a quick middle. Perhaps a reason many potential middles prefer moving to the right side where they eventually struggle with the timing of the higher sets. However, you only have one pin to worry about blocking.   Below are 16 middles who do a good job executing their blocks. They are broken out by year. Many were selected by their blocking stats recorded by Maxpreps or my eye when watching them perform. Sometimes a coach will laud a player for her ability to block. Not an all inclusive list but a sweet sixteen.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2026 Middles</h2>    For Riverside she averages about 1.2 blocks per set. She reached the century mark with 26 recorded solo blocks. That is more than double the block total of setter/right side MacKenzie Davis, who finished second on the team with 48.   A lot of that success appears to come from her ability to read the setter and adjust quickly. There is also the athleticism to move quickly from side to side. Middles need good timing, whether it is waiting for the hitter to make her jump before starting the block or transitioning after the block to execute a quick tempo set. A 10'3" approach jump helps her reach over the net.   [player_tooltip player_id='301696' first='Nadiya' last='Johnson'] led the team in kills but it was Gabriella who carried the top hitting percentage at .396. Riverside won two state championships because of her excellence at blocking the middle. Last year during the club season Metro finished in third place In the Junior Nationals Open Division with Gabby as their primary blocker. This year she returns to play for Metro. At the Chesapeake Regional Bid championship they qualified for the National Division. After that they qualified for Open.   Gabby has committed to American.       Sydney is one of those players who seemed to stay off the radar. She has good height at 6'2" and an excellent ability to play the middle. However, she preferred to play with her friends at perhaps a lower level of club competition rather than play in qualifiers or perform in national events.   She led the Patriots in blocks with 86, or about 0.9 blocks per set. As with Gabriella this was more than double any of her teammates totals. Patriot made a state playoff run before losing to the eventual champions West Springfield in the semi-finals.   For most of her club play she played for American, with one year playing for Virginia Juniors. American did not form an 18 team this year and there is no club footprint for her this year. Sydney did not commit.     Do not let that 5'9" height fool you. She has some long limbs that can reach far over the net. When she jumps she can also fly over the net, reaching 10'2" with her approach jump. She plays with [player_tooltip player_id='333652' first='Gabriella' last='Vizek'] on the Metro 18 team this year.   As a frosh she led Urbana to a Class 4 state championship. This year they reached the finals before losing to Broadneck.   Last year Simone also played middle for Metro when they finished third in the Junior National Open Division. This year she plays for the 18 team that has qualified for Open. Last year the strength was the pins. This year the strength is in the middles.   Simone has committed to George Washington.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2027 Middles</h2>    Taylor is the top prospect in the class of 2027. She played middle last year for the gold middle winning United States junior national team. Clearly the top middle in the area.   For Wakefield she mostly hit outside. Playing for [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] she returns to the middle. Her blocking is very formidable. When she goes up and the hitter tries to go cross court the spike is usually rejected. An extremely intense player who shows tremendous energy while on the court. Her approach jump is just shy of 10'3".   [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] recently qualified for Junior Nationals in the National Division. Their ultimate goal is to play in Open. Last year they played in Open. It was a disappointing result but there were a number of distractions. Taylor flew straight from Canada to Dallas where she competed with the United States Junior National team in an international event. This year the focus can move to doing well in the Junior Nationals.   Taylor has committed to Penn State.     While her blocking numbers for Churchill are not great with 32 total blocks her 6'3" height allows her to penetrate over the net to finish a block. She averaged about 0.4 blocks per set. She did have a team leading five blocks in their five set upset win over two time defending champion Richard Montgomery in the Class 4 Maryland state championships. They would eventually lose in three to the eventual state champions Broadneck.   Sienna plays for MVSA Blaze, which is ranked fourth in the Region. Last year this team Triple Qualified for bids in Junior Nationals. This year they have qualified for American.   Siyena has yet to commit. She is the highest ranked middle blocker in the class of 2027 that has not committed.     Lyla is the second ranked middle that has yet to commit. It was quite the battle with Ocean Lakes playing Riverside in the semifinals of the Virginia Class 5 state championship. Lyla was quite adept at running the slide to avoid the block of [player_tooltip player_id='333652' first='Gabriella' last='Vizek'] in the middle. Unfortunately, Riverside swept them in three.   Lyla stands 6'1" and puts up a nice block with an approach jump of 9'11". She won a top performer award this year at the exposure tour at [program_tooltip program_id='498495' first='Richmond' last='Volleyball Club'].   Lyla has yet to commit.     I just put together an evaluation on her for leading Virginia Elite to the gold bracket in the Boston Qualifier. As stated at this point in her career her blocking skills are ahead of her hitting skills.   For West Springfield Milena finished with 73 blocks, 22 of them solo. That, along with her team leading .405 hitting percentage led West Springfield to the Class 6 Virginia state championship. She averaged 0.7 blocks per set.   Milena lists at 6'3" with a 9'5" block jump. She made quite a bit of improvement from her game last year. After playing a year of club with Virginia Elite her improvement should continue. Virginia Elite will play in the Freedom Division at Junior Nationals.   Milena recently committed to New York University.     Kiya is playing up for [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] 18. At 6'4" with an approach jump of a little over 10'1' she can put up a good block. Some of her time could be played at right side since [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] has on their roster two more middles/right sides in [player_tooltip player_id='506629' first='Dylann' last='Loggins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='498420' first='Meisha' last='Sykes']. Dylann has committed to Indiana State while Meisha has committed to Central Michigan. Kiya is the lone middle yet to commit yet she still belongs to the class of 2027.   Last year Kiya played for Maryland Juniors. She also played for Montgomery Blair where her 78 blocks finished third in the state of Maryland. She average 1.3 blocks per set. Another player who clearly led her team in blocking.   Paramount 18 has yet to qualify for Junior Nationals. Hate to see a player this talented go unnoticed.     Nadia impressed me with her middle play when I watched her play for Momentum. Quick feet allowed her to move smoothly from pin to pin. She also runs the quick tempo sets well.   Nadia plays for a home school where she finished fourth in the state of Virginia in blocks. Her 126 blocks were 80 more than she achieved as a sophomore. She easily led her team in blocks with 1.1 blocks per set but she also hit at an impressive .602. This hitting percentage was clearly the best in Virginia. However, playing against other weaker home schools would improve that stat line.   Nadia has yet to commit.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2028 Middles</h2>    Even at 6'0' Eliana can dominate at the net. She brings an approach jump of 10.2". There is a chance for further growth as well as a higher approach jump as she gains physical strength.   Last year playing for the Metro 15 team they won the gold in the Junior Nationals in the National Division. Eliana was pretty dominant in the middle. The U.S. Junior National team has taken notice, inviting her to three NTDP training classes.   While she currently ranks number 14 in our class of 2028 this may see a slight increase based on her performance. This year the Metro 16 team has already earned a bid to the Open Division in Junior Nationals.     Cairo was fourth in the D.C. area in blocks when she played for St. Johns last year. She finished with the top hitting percentage at .388 while also placing second in kills. This coming high school season she will move those stats to Paul VI, who beat St. Johns in the WCAC finals last season.   For Metro Cairo is one of their better blockers. She was part of the Metro team that took gold in the Junior Nationals playing in the National Division. She brings an approach jump that reaches 10'4".   In conference play St. Johns finished in fourth place. The WCAC all conference teams are voted on prior to the playoffs. Cairo made the second team but only one middle, [player_tooltip player_id='488812' first='Olivia' last='Boggs'] made the first team.   Cairo will play with Metro in Open this year.     At 6'3" she can reach her arms high over the net. Her older sister played right side, but she swung left handed, an awkward swing for a middle. Alexis led the team in blocks and hitting percentage while also placing third in kills.   For [program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] she is one of their top offensive players. While the 15 and 14 team earned USA bids in the Sun Shine classic the 16 team fell short. However, they played March 21st in the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championship to earn an American bid.   Alexis older sister Samantha committed to IU-Pennsylvania. Alexis started playing volleyball much earlier than her older sister giving her a more complete game.     Mandela got her first invite to NTPD. Unfortunately an injury prevented her from participating in the drills. She is healthy now and ready to contribute. As far as I know she is only the second non-Metro player from the DMV area to participate in the NTPD. [player_tooltip player_id='296486' first='Taylor' last='Harrington'] was the first.   Last year Mandela helped Flint Hill win the VISAA state championship. Her blocking was a key. One of the strengths of Flint Hill was their back row. With her ability to block areas of the court the defense did not have to cover as much area. She led the team in blocks, averaging 0.7 blocks per set.   Virginia Juniors missed out on winning a bid in the Chesapeake Regional Bid Championship.     What impressed me most about Zara was her ability to reach high over the net. She averaged 1.1 blocks per set with 67 solo blocks. Her 114 total blocks put her seventh in the state.   Stone Bridge won VISAA Division II states finishing with a 38-0 record. Zara also plays soccer for her high school team where she is the goal keeper. Don't know how that balances with her ability to play volleyball. Peake Volleyball Academy is currently ranked number three in the Old Dominion Region according to AES, behind East Volleyball Club and Roanoke United Red. They have won a couple club tournaments.   One of these low profile players worth the watch.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2029 middles</h2>    She took over for Rowan Johnson playing middle for Holy Cross. A tall task for a frosh. The fact that she finished sixth in the state of Maryland in blocks makes me think she covered her position well.   She also moved from Maryland Juniors to Metro Travel to add some depth to the middle position. [player_tooltip player_id='750047' first='Caroline' last='Conroy'] and [player_tooltip player_id='746330' first='Hannah' last='Keating'] are both 6'3' returning middles. This year Metro 15 earned an open bid in the first qualifier they played in, finishing in second place.   At 6'0" Aniston falls a bit short of the height of the two returning middles but her 10'2" approach jump exceeds both. In 2024 she was voted top blocker at the Capitol Hill Classic 14 U.     Caroline also plays middle for Metro 15. She stands 6'3" with a 10'0" approach jump. This year she received her first invite to the NTDP as well as the Next Under Armor in Louisville. She is becoming quite popular on the showcase circuits.   She plays for Walt Whitman, which does not record stats. This past season they lost to Churchill in the regional finals. Churchill would go on to defeat two time defending champion Richard Montgomery but later losing to eventual champions Broadneck in the state semi-finals.   Comparing her game from last year to this year she has greatly improved. For taller players it can take time as your body lengthens to get control of your game. Caroline seems to have control of her game allowing her to hit the ball with greater velocity than last year. Her blocking is also intimidating to the outsides.

The middle position may be the most difficult position to play. It is difficult to find players who want to play middle Moving from one side of the court to the other to put up a block takes a lot of work. What makes it even more exhausting is the transition after the block where you have to prepare to hit a quick middle. Perhaps a reason many potential middles prefer moving to the right side where they eventually struggle with the timing of the higher sets. However, you only have one pin to worry about blocking.