Providence has never been accused of being “tall”. Enter Miss Manos, whose size, strength and fearless heavy attacking has put her, Providence and Union on the map for creating big and physical volleyball recruits. I like the fearlessness—-she came to our most recent showcase in December and did everything asked of her offensively and more. With strong athletic acuity, solid upper body strength and the ability to hit a heavy ball, Isabella is one we’ll keep an eye on as one of the first from southern Indiana to receive a commitment this coming summer.

High school teammates with Hadley, Isabella is one of the rare over-six-footers from Providence. Not only is she big, but the physicality she brings to the middle position is unmatched in this class. When in-system, she hits a HEAVY ball, which is hard to block and even harder to dig. On defense, her broad and strong shoulders make it tougher than average to get a swing past her without a touch. A rare gem in the middle from southern Indiana, Miss Manos is clearly one of the better middles in the class of ‘28, and might be one of the first off of the recruiting board when this summer comes around.

To southern Indiana we go, where size isn’t as prevalent. Isabella is the rare find of size, speed and strength that isn’t as common in that part of the state, which makes her meteoric rise that much more impressive. Her broad shoulders emphasize the space she takes up on the block. Her high attack touch brings an attack that has pace behind it, making her tough to defend. She’s also got quicker-than-she-looks footwork that makes her available for each and every transition situation. She’s the whole package, and should be easy to find on her Union squad.

One of the rare over-six-feet kids from Providence, Isabella is well worth the price of admission to either a high school match in southern Indiana or at the open level of 16s for Union. Of the five listed here, none have as strong of an upper body as Miss Manos, as her arm swing allows for a heavy ball to come off of her hand regularly. As far as blocking is concerned, she takes up plenty of space and closes the block well with whomever is on the pin with her. Tall, smart, physical and coachable, Isabella is an easy get for any school needing a solid M2 in college in the fall of 2028.

One of the rare over-six-footers from Providence, Miss Manos hits the heaviest ball of the middles listed today. Her swing is terminal—-she can put any tempo of ball away in any situation and at any angle, which is a product of not only her training but her size as well. Both Union and Providence are lucky to have a gem in Isabella, as she adds much-needed size and athleticism to two highly skilled rosters.

Another southern Indiana kid, Isabella was seen putting balls away for Providence last fall by yours truly. Yes, her size immediately makes her easy to recognize, as athletes over six foot are NOT in abundance on women’s volleyball at Providence. That being said, Miss Manos looks smooth, hits high and hard, and is an exceptional M2 in the making for the next level. No, you can’t teach 6’2”, but when that 6’2” moves and scores as well as Isabella does, it’s hard not to root for her.

Big and physical, Isabella represents a major shift from the norm in both Union and Providence. Both teams are usually filled with average-sized ball control specialists who use guile and craftiness to score points. In Miss Manos, both programs get a long-awaited big that can hammer away in the middle regularly, and at this age group, there aren’t too many other middles as strong as she. For now, Isabella is an M2, but with time and experience, she could play both positions in the middle, plus some right side if needed in a pinch.

It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned ANYONE over six feet at Providence, but here we are. Miss Manos thumps off of two feet and held her own against older teams in the top 15/16 division on Sunday. I’d like to see a bigger selection of shots from her down the road, but for the first tournament, playing against mostly 16s teams, Isabella was a physical force in the middle. I’m looking forward to a continued connection with her Kentucky-based setter, as their familiarity will definitely dictate her progress. She even hit the floor a few times on defense after her serve to show that yes, big kids can play floor defense too.