There’s a Lot to Like About These Wisconsin Middles

<!-- 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@prepdigdakota</a></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching this group of Wisconsin middles perform gave me plenty to write down. They were getting off the floor quickly, finding different ways to score, working pin to pin on the block, and staying active even when the set went somewhere else. You could see the athleticism, but you could also see players starting to understand how to really play the middle position.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What made this group fun was that they didn't all win the same way. Some brought a heavy arm, some were quick off the ground, while others made their mark with blocking, movement, or the routes they ran.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["522128"],"_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-6a7a728592780"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Speed was a big part of [player_tooltip player_id='522128' first='Lily' last='Janis-Cardenas']' game. She got off the floor quickly and was ready early, which allowed her to get her arm through before the block was fully set. I also liked her transition work. She got off the net, reset her feet, and came right back looking for another swing. When Lily and her setter connected on the quicker ball, she was tough to get in front of. <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":["769309"],"_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-6a7a7285927b7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I spent a lot of time watching [player_tooltip player_id='769309' first='Kylie' last='Tuescher'] on the blocking side. She moved well pin to pin and worked to get all the way close instead of leaving that little bit of daylight between the blockers. Her hands were strong over the net too. A few of her best plays weren't stuff blocks at all but touches that took the heat off the swing and let the back row clean it up. Kylie was worked up there even when she wasn't getting the point herself. <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":["826308"],"_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-6a7a7285927d9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='826308' first='Hadley' last='Wilkinson'] wasn't giving the blocker the same look every time. She could go quick in front, work behind the setter, and change up where she was attacking from. I liked how much she moved without the ball too. She kept getting off the net and making herself available again, so the opposing middle couldn't just forget about her. Give Hadley a good matchup, and she wasn't shy about going after it. <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":["522844"],"_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-6a7a7285927f7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='522844' first='Anastasiia' last='Ratner'] brought some power with her. When the set was there, she took a full swing and challenged whatever was in front of her instead of trying to play around it. That same strength showed up on the block. She got her hands into the hitter's space and made the middle of the net feel pretty crowded. Ratner played with an edge, and I liked that about her. <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":["947814"],"_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-6a7a728592815"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A lot of what I liked about [player_tooltip player_id='947814' first='Eden' last='Knoblauch'] happened before the ball was hit. She stayed patient while reading the setter and didn't bite on every little movement across the net. That helped her stay balanced and get where she needed to be on the block. Then she was off the net and right back into her approach. There wasn't much standing around in Eden's game. <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":["752668"],"_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-6a7a728592831"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='903164' first='Ella' last='Gorsline'] was lively when the tempo picked up. She got up fast, connected well on the quicker ball, and could beat the block simply by getting there first. Ella also moved around enough that the opposing middle had to keep track of her instead of camping in one spot. A couple of those quick connections happened before the block had much of a chance, and that's when her offense really looked impressive. <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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