Deep Middle Group in 2027 Rankings

We kicked off our initial rankings this week and noticed this group is deep in the middle. In our top ten, we had two players ranked. As we look at 11-20, we have seven. The norm is some of these players will eventually transition to the pin based on team needs and size, so we know all of these players won't stay there. Today though, we will highlight the middle blockers ranked in the next tier of athletes.    Gillihan is a player who just missed the top ten. She has been productive this spring for her Mavs squad and helped them earn a bid to nationals. She had a strong debut season at St. Michael's, totaling over 250 kills and 70 blocks. She is athletic and does many things well on the court.     I saw Fox for the first time during the high school season and she stood out as a game-changer on the court. She has the size and court IQ that makes a difference every time she takes the floor. She has a good swing allowing her to power through blocks with a high success rate.     Robart is our highest-ranked player from the smallest school but her game is large. She had 268 kills in her first high school season. Her spring has been fun to watch as she helped lead Mineral Area to a Liberty berth at nationals. A lot of these middles come in around six feet but one thing I like about Robart is her ability to mix up power with finesse, which allows her to score more often than not.     Schwartz enters at 17 in our initial rankings, good for the 6th-ranked middle. There is arguably not a better blocker among the middles than Schwartz. Her quickness off the floor and reading of the setter is at an elite level already. At 5'11", she uses that long wing span to cover ground and sends many balls back to the face of the attacker. Her offense is also solid, and I'm impressed by her efforts to make herself available to the setter.     I haven't seen much of Spry but the little I saw impressed me. She is raw regarding volleyball skills but athleticism and instincts can take you far in this game. She plays multiple sports but will grow in volleyball over time. She had 168 kills playing for Savannah last fall.     Our second Mineral Area member makes the rankings at 19! Pierce forms a solid one-two punch with Robart. She has quick arm action and can get the ball down in one-on-one situations. I like her ability to take confident and effective swings from the right side when needed. She is a player who with increased strength will rise in the rankings.     We have [player_tooltip player_id='485631' first='Piper' last='Jackson'] rounding out the group representing Invasion. They will be heading to nationals this summer and will depend on Jackson to continue the play she's displayed this spring. I am impressed by her ability to take quality swings both in front and behind the setter. Her slide has improved this spring and brings another option to her offense. Blocking is a strength of her game.

We kicked off our initial rankings this week and noticed this group is deep in the middle. In our top ten, we had two players ranked. As we look at 11-20, we have seven. The norm is some of these players will eventually transition to the pin based on team needs and size, so we know all of these players won't stay there. Today though, we will highlight the middle blockers ranked in the next tier of athletes.