USAV Showcase: Winning The Battle Above The Net

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><a href="https://prepdig.com/subscribe/"><strong>More than 150 college coaches shared this article.</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Join PrepDig with 30% off using code "digdakotas30."</strong></a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/prepdigdakotas/?hl=en">Follow on Instagram@prepdigdakotas</a></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The USAV Showcase always attracts some of the best talent across the country, and this year's middle blockers were no exception. From the first whistle, there was no shortage of athletes making their presence felt at the net. Each court offered a different perspective, but one thing was constant: the battle at the net was as competitive as any position group at the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It wasn't how many blocks or kills that caught my attention. That's how these matches were affected by middles.” They closed seams, made hitters swing awkwardly, created second-chance opportunities on their block touches, and remained available in transition. Those little moments don't always fill a stat sheet, but often times they're the difference between a win and a loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are the middle blockers who kept catching my eye as I worked through the showcase. Some dominated the net with their blocking presence, while others made their biggest impact on offense. No matter what they did, they always found a way to affect the games and left me wanting to watch more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["951676"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a3f4671b21b3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Olivia Nickleberry continued her streak of one of the more complete performances I saw throughout the showcase. Good footwork from pin to pin, and her hand positioning on the net during positional work was good, always pressing. When she came to actual play, she brought those same habits to the court. She closed seams well, kept her eyes disciplined, and did an impressive job getting back into transition quickly, giving her setter another option in the middle. She was efficient in her game from start to finish. <strong><em>~Theresa@prepdigdakotas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["931238"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a3f4671b2216"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='931238' first='Blakely' last='Walters'] had a physical presence that was hard to ignore. She attacked confidently with quick tempo, got off the floor well, and was not afraid to challenge the block offensively. Defensively, I thought she set up her block well, didn't drift, and made hitters adjust instead of giving them clean angles. The hotter the competition got, the more at home she seemed, influencing points above the tape. <strong><em>~Theresa@prepdigdakotas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["997781"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a3f4671b2266"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">One thing I kept writing about Kayla Reeder was her timing. She did a nice job of holding her approach until the ball was delivered, and that kept her available for quicker looks on offense. At the net she was always working to close seams and to take away space with her hands, not just reach for touches. That made her effective on both sides of the ball during the showcase. <strong><em>~Theresa@prepdigdakotas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["908372"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a3f4671b22b4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Naomi Hill's connection to every stage of the rally really impressed me. She moved laterally efficiently; she read the setter well and consistently worked to get her shoulders square before closing her block. She was offensively available after every transition and provided her setter with a reliable option in the middle. Those things may not be reflected in the box score, but they are important to how an offense works. <strong><em>~Theresa@prepdigdakotas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["897285"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a3f4671b2300"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Adelaide Rice looked comfortable playing at a fast tempo all day long. She cleared the net quickly after her defensive responsibilities, rebuilt her approach, and continued to make herself available in transition. I liked, too, the discipline she showed at the net. Instead of chasing blocks, she relied on her footwork, closed with purpose, and forced attackers to work around her hands. Those habits have continued to translate well as the competition has gotten better. <strong><em>~Theresa@prepdigdakotas</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thank you to all my readers for making this journey possible. My goal has always been simple: to shine a light on athletes at every level, from Division I to NAIA, and give them a platform to keep chasing their love for the game. 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