Class of 2028 Middle Blockers On the Up-Swing

This group of 2028 middle blockers understands that they need to do all the hard work on the court, and that it may not always come with all the glory. Closing the block, getting the block up, landing and transitioning hard, only to see the set thrown to the pin- that's life in the middle. It's all about holding the opposing middle, freezing the block with an aggressive approach, and freeing up the rest of the attackers for a one-on-one swing.    We liked seeing Fernandez playing six rotations during the club season- she was working hard in serve receive and playing defense in the back row at PNQ. It's not easy to make the switch from the middle to the pin; the 2028 prospect from Timberline High School finds a way to score with her high contact point and willingness to turn the ball down the line and swing at the hard angle. Fernandez should be in for a big season with a talented Timberline team this fall.     Burrows is a fluid athlete with good size at the middle position- she is versatile and can score and play on the right side. The Lakeside prospect has an easy arm swing, and she has the vision and feel to see the block and score with a hard-angle hammer, deep corner short, or smart tip over the block. Burrows played for Ignite during the club season and will be a fun player to watch this fall with Lakeside.     Zagurna is a hard-working 2028 prospect who played this club season with PJVBC 16 National. She works hard to close the block, has a quick transition, and works with any set she is given. Zagurna can swipe a challenging set down for a kill, and she plays 50/50 balls at the net strongly with two hands. The Graham-Kapowsin High School squad is on the upswing, and Zagurna should be a valuable part of their program this fall.       Frank is a 2028 prospect from Hanford High School in the Tri-Cities. She played this club season with Club Gold 16 Black, helping the team to several solid finishes in the Evergreen Region. She has developed her offensive game, expanding her swing selection and finding angles & routes in transition that make her available to her setter. Frank will represent the ERVA Region All-Stars at the 2026 USA All-Star Championships in Ohio this July.     The #6-ranked middle blocker in the Oregon rankings, the 6'2" Minnick has a very good all-around skill set baked into her game. She can get the job done in serve receive, is accurate with a calm platform, and does an excellent job creating angles as a passer. Minnick played up with G3VB 18-1; she was hard to handle for opposing middles- her size and strong hands at the net made life difficult on other teams all season long.

This group of 2028 middle blockers understands that they need to do all the hard work on the court, and that it may not always come with all the glory. Closing the block, getting the block up, landing and transitioning hard, only to see the set thrown to the pin- that's life in the middle. It's all about holding the opposing middle, freezing the block with an aggressive approach, and freeing up the rest of the attackers for a one-on-one swing.