2030 Watchlist: Middles Starting to Make Some Noise

Lily Edinger Lily Edinger 6'5" | MB Bismarck Century | 2030 ND is going to get attention the minute she walks into a gym at 6'5", but watching her play is why she lands on this watchlist. She gives Century a huge presence at the net and is already learning how to use that length as both an attacker and blocker. There are moments when she gets up and takes away a lot of court simply because of how much space she can cover above the net. For a young middle, she still has plenty to add to her game, but Edinger is already showing more than just height. She is one of the 2030s players I want college coaches to know about early. ~Theresa@prepdigdakotas

Pieper Louwagie Pieper Louwagie 6'0" | MB/OH West Fargo | 2030 ND has been fun to watch because she plays the middle and wants to be involved. At 6'0", she has good size, but what has kept her on my radar is what she is doing with it. She works at the net, gets herself available in transition, and is becoming more comfortable being an offensive option through the middle. I also like watching her work along the net defensively instead of waiting for the play to come directly to her. There is a lot to like about the way Louwagie is playing right now, and she's earned her spot in this first group. ~Theresa@prepdigdakotas

Scarlett Horner Scarlett Horner 5'11" | MB/RS Shanley | 2030 ND has caught my attention with how active she is in the middle. She isn't just standing at the net waiting for a set; she is working through the play and finding ways to stay involved. At 5'11", Horner moves well for the position, and I like the effort she gives getting from pin to pin on the block and then getting herself back into the offense. That work rate matters in middle, especially at this age. The more I've watched this 2030 group, the more Horner has given me reasons to keep her name on the list. ~Theresa@prepdigdakotas

Wrigley Sandberg Wrigley Sandberg 5'8" | MB/RS South Prairie-Max | 2030 ND has been earning attention for how she competes through the middle. What I like when I watch her is that she doesn't need every ball to come her way to stay engaged in the point. She works at the net, gets into blocking position, and stays ready when the opportunity does come offensively. Evaluators often overlook that activity when they assess young middles, since so much of their job happens without touching the ball. Sandberg is doing enough of those things right now to make me want to see more, and that is why she lands on this first watchlist. ~Theresa@prepdigdakotas

Kinley Eckroth Kinley Eckroth 5'10" | MB Flasher | 2030 ND brings a little different look to this middle group. At 5'10", she isn't relying on being the tallest player at the net, so I pay more attention to how she gets herself into position and competes through the play. Eckroth has been finding ways to make herself available offensively while working to get across the net defensively. I like that she plays active instead of waiting for something to happen around her. She has been putting together the kind of play that deserves recognition, and she has earned a spot on our 2030 Watchlist. ~Theresa@prepdigdakotas