2023 Rankings: Monster Middles

Vernon Birmingham December 29, 2020 @ 11:05 AM

There is high-quality middle depth in the Class of 2023. There are power players, finesse players, great blockers, and more. Some of these players will stay in the middle. You may see some move to the pins down the road. For now, though, we will focus on their play as middle blockers. #3 [player_tooltip player_id="99224" first="Calissa" last="Minatee"] - 6’0" - North Kansas City/Dynasty Minatee is a very athletic player in the middle. She has shown power and the ability to find open floor with tips. She runs a good slide and scores with high efficiency. She has good length and an above-average blocker. She could eventually transition to the pin. #9 [player_tooltip player_id="101700" first="Elise" last="Paul"] - 6’0" - Lutheran/HPSTL When watching Paul you immediately notice her fire on the court. She has a great reach and uses that to get over the block. She loves the quick set and terminates it with high success. Defensively, she has good blocking technique and presses well over the net. #13 [player_tooltip player_id="102553" first="Layne" last="Witherspoon"] - 5’10" - Lafayette/Rockwood Witherspoon may be viewed as undersized for a middle, but her play speaks for itself. She is a gamer with tremendous athletic ability. She may be best served on the pin at the next level, however she has shown she can be effective against bigger players. She can jump out of the gym and has a lively arm. #15 [player_tooltip player_id="99215" first="Brooklyn" last="Young"] - 6’0" - Liberty/Dynasty Another athletic middle, Young has been a staple in the Liberty lineup since her freshman year. She is a force in the middle and works best in a quick offense. She has great jumping ability and is an aggressive blocker. She is as competitive a player we’ve seen in this class and plays with high intensity. #22 [player_tooltip player_id="119222" first="Aisha" last="Aiona"] - 6’3" - Park Hill/Mavs 816 The tallest of the ranked middles, Aiona is another player who will continue to have her stock rise during the club season. She is a dominant blocker at the net. She can also score and hits a heavy ball. She can run the slide and moves well laterally. #25 [player_tooltip player_id="102558" first="Grace" last="Toney"] - 5’11" - Liberty/Dynasty Toney is the other Liberty middle who has been roaming the front line since her 9th-grade year. She can play in the middle or on the right side at the collegiate level. She is a player who can bring a lot to a team. Unfortunately, she suffered an injury and will miss some time this winter/spring and we hope for a speedy recovery. #36 [player_tooltip player_id="123470" first="Kira" last="Cherry"] - 5’11" - Oak Park/Mavs 816 The 5’11" Cherry has continued to impress since coming on our radar in 2019. High school volleyball has been rough but she continues to be a bright spot at Oak Park. She has demonstrated the talent that makes her appealing to coaches. At the club level, she should be able to showcase her full ability. She is another leaper with a good swing and good blocking ability. #37 [player_tooltip player_id="123471" first="Emma" last="Blaine"] - 6’0" - St. Dominic/HPSTL Blaine had a solid year for St. Dominic this fall. At 6’0", she provided offense and a defensive presence to a strong St. Dominic team. She had 56 total blocks along with 130 kills from the middle. She works hard in her transitioning off the net, which you love to see as a coach. She is going to continue to develop offensively over the next couple of years. #42 [player_tooltip player_id="123474" first="Megan" last="Manaj"] - 6’0" - Lindbergh/Rockwood One thing you notice immediately about Manaj, she works hard to put herself in a position to be available for a set. She has good footwork and does well in transition off of the net. She hits a solid two ball and finds the floor consistently. Manaj can also swing off of one foot and runs a good slide. #44 [player_tooltip player_id="123656" first="Jordan" last="Stout"] - 6’1" - Lee’s Summit/Dynasty Stout showcased her play during the successful high school season for Lee’s Summit. She was a force in the middle and showed versatility in her offensive game. She moves well and at 6’1", provides length at the net. She plays up on the strong Dynasty 17-2 team. #46 Samona Hunter - 6’0" - Van Horn/Mizuno Club North We highlighted Hunter last spring as a new to the scene player to keep an eye on. She has only been playing the game on the competitive level for the last two years and has developed into a prospect. Her size has allowed her to be successful offensively and defensively. Another solid club season will elevate her stock. #49 [player_tooltip player_id="123475" first="Kylie" last="Stehlin"] - 6’2" - Rockwood/HPSTL Stehlin is a powerful hitter who has shown good vision and decision making. She is another middle with good blocking technique. She presses well and looks really good swing blocking on the outside. As a server, she looked solid on defense and passes the ball well.