Houston Stop 2 Top 250 Expo Top Performers: Middles

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stop 2 of the Top 250 Expo ended in Houston on Saturday, and the athletes in attendance exceeded expectations. We had some stellar middles in the lineup and have dedicated an entire article to the performance of these athletes. With 2022 coming to a close, we will wrap up a great Expo season with these highlighted athletes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Simi Elliot / Sophomore / [program_tooltip program_id='431166' first='Houston' last='Juniors'] </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Simi Elliot's pure size at the Top 250 Expo was a site to see. She is labeled as 6'1, but her length and reach easily make her look 6'3. She has tons of volleyball IQ and playing experience after a successful state appearance with Katy Tompkins. Every time I watched her court she snagged at least one block throughout the rally. She can move pin to pin successfully and has an excellent close move to even the farthest sets at the antenna. Simi put on a blocking performance for us that was a sight to see.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='269822' first='Madison' last='Presley'] / Junior / [program_tooltip program_id='431337' first='Texas' last='Tornados']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A somewhat undersized middle blocker immediately got my attention after watching her hit a few out-of-system sets early on. She can extend well above the net and contact high to make for a very effective middle attack. She is only listed as 5'9, but Madison easily hung with the taller blockers and got plenty of blocks herself. She has a really quick explosion step and snap to help her beat the block. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='269824' first='Natalie' last='Kettler'] / Freshman / Woodlands Revolution</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='269827' first='Sarah' last='Odell'] really made a splash at the Top 250 Expo. I had to look up her class, and when I realized she was a freshman I was really excited about her level of play. Since seeing her for the first time last season, Sarah has made leaps and bounds of improvement. She is faster, quicker, and more aggressive as a blocker and attacker. She got some nice stuff blocks against ace pin hitters that really made her stand out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='206933' first='Giana' last='Brown'] / Sophomore / Impact 171</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Long and athletic middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='206933' first='Giana' last='Brown'] was in attendance Saturday. This is an athlete I have been excited to see after watching film of her during the high school season. She explodes on the block and has an incredible reach. Not only does she get up there, but she is very strong and has an intimidating press over the net. Giana can also get on top of a set, and make the opposing backrow pay if they aren't paying attention.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='269809' first='Kenadii' last='Winfrey'] / Sophomore / [program_tooltip program_id='431337' first='Texas' last='Tornados']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another "undersized" middle who really stood out was Kendaii Winfrey. She's got some amazing athleticism and great tracking of the ball even on tough sets. She would be an absolute steal for any college program to pick her up as she would bring tons of athleticism and versatility. While she wasn't very vocal in the middle, she was very engaged and played with a lot of intensity.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Check back soon for more Top 250 standouts!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->