Middles Making Moves In 5A And 4A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having solid middles can truly make or break a team. Middles contribute so much more than height and long arms. They have to be fast, disciplined, patient, strong, and vocal. Not to mention, they are always on the go, and it's not easy covering the entire net, then having to sprint off to make yourself available for your setter. These are some middles that I think have really altered their teams in the best way possible.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you're enjoying my content, make sure to follow me on Instagram @Prepdigmarissa</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["781517"],"_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"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6acbf29162858"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Starting strong, we have Haddie Smith. She's not only the #1-ranked middle, but arguably the #1-ranked kid in her Iowa Class. Smith is one of those players who truly changes the game when she's on the court. It doesn't matter where her set is or who's blocking her; she's going to terminate the ball. There is just such an amazing mix of the skill set she already has, her competitive drive, and passion for the game that makes her a fun one to watch. She is a middle that quickly makes heads turn with her amazing vertical, fast arm, and powerful swings. Not only is she already such an outstanding player, but she is still growing as an athlete. Smith is probably one of the kids I'm most excited to see dominate not only for the remainder of her high school career, but also at the collegiate level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["490016"],"_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"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6acbf291628a0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='490016' first='Raquel' last='Risk'] is versatile when it comes to hitting. Even though she mainly swings on the pin for club, she's been eating it up in the middle this fall. Her versatility and ability to adjust to her sets really helps her stand out in the middle. She is incredibly light on her feet, helping her to be quick with her transition and approach. She has a phenomenal reach, which plays a key role in both her offense and defense. Risk knows how to move from pin to pin to close a block and makes herself a pretty tough block to hit around. I love watching kids flourish in various positions and Raquel is no different. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1050669"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1050670,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6acbf291628e5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1050669' first='Noni' last='Casillas'] is an athlete who isn't really talked about much because her high school hasn't had the best season. But this is an unranked kid you'll want to keep an eye on. Casillas is a key piece for the Blue Devils and a strong contributor in the middle. She has a powerful block and does a great job of taking up space all across the net. Noni is also very smart when it comes to her plays at the net; she is quick to adjust and almost always finds a way to better the ball. I think she is going to really grow this off-season and is a player to keep track of. I am excited to see her progression throughout the year and how she contributes in the off-season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["816843"],"_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"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6acbf29162911"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">My favorite part about Franken is her ability to switch up her offense in the blink of an eye. One ball she's managing to tip right over the block; the next one she's ripping through it. I always love the players who are more than capable of powering through the block or bouncing every ball, but choose to utilize all of their tools. You can just tell that Franken plays with a much higher IQ than most, making her offensively extremely hard to defend. I am extremely excited to see how Maryn continues to excel throughout the postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["754649"],"_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"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6acbf2916293a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Although Peyton is an all-around solid player, her blocking abilities are what got her onto this list. Dirks is extremely disciplined and aggressive when it comes to her blocks. She is consistent, reliable, smart, and incredibly tough to hit around. The junior is already at 80 blocks with no intention of slowing down. Dirks, of course, also makes sure to contribute offensively not only with her amazing swings, but also with her amazing serves. She currently leads the Comets in blocks and serve aces. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["575212"],"_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"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6acbf2916298b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Similar to Casillas, Brehmer is a sneaky middle that does a fantastic job of moving the ball around. She excels when it comes to taking no-look swings, making her incredibly hard to read a lot of the time. My favorite part about watching Peyton is the fact that she is always trying to get open for her setter. No matter how many times she does or doesn't get set, she will make sure she is an option. Brehmer moves exceptionally well and does a good job of pulling blockers with her. So even if she isn't the one getting the set, she still finds ways to help out her team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->