NEQ3: Standout middles below OPEN.

Middles come in many varieties in club volleyball. Some times they are dominating offensive players with high reach, sometimes they are tough, physical blockers that control games with their defense. They are usually the tallest on the court and can mean the difference between a win and a loss in tight games. Here are some of the standouts from Philly.    Kenzie is a standout in COL and really impressed in PA over the weekend. Her speed side to side blocking was on another level and caused problems for setters repeatedly, being able to close an open player in an instant with high athleticism. Her offense was no slouch either, getting a few powerful hits off in the hand full of games I got to see, it was easy to see why she's ranked so high.     Kendall caught my eye from afar this weekend while watching another game. She stood out because of her height at her age group, but as I watched more I saw raw talent and potential to grow into a dominant middle. She showed good athleticism and a decent, developing touch on offense, but her blocking was like running into a wall for the other team. This is a player that you are going to start hearing a lot of noise from in the next couple years.     Miller was an absolute monster this weekend. A strong, powerful shot that's hard enough to block on power alone, she has great touch and was clever enough to switch to tips and dumps over and around blockers so often that blockers didn't have an answer for her. Not only was her offense top-tier, but her defense and blocking was incredibly strong with quite a few solo blocks, in addition to good speed getting in position to help the outsides.     You don't often look at A5 teams to find underrated players or diamonds in the rough. They are one of the top clubs in the entire country. But playing on their 3rd team in 16s is a very intriguing middle who is going to be a problem as she gets older. First catching my eye in warm-ups, she had some explosive hits out of the middle slot, paired with some eye catching vertical. As she got time in the game you could see the raw ability that could make her a star in the next couple years with some no-doubt 10 foot line shots, and a couple big blocks at key moments.     Dylann is one of the top middles in the DMV, with both offense and defense at her command. Her strength can rival some of the biggest names in the country, and she is a big reason why Howard High was so dominant this past HS season. Switching to a new club this year, she's been in a rotation with a few other high level middles, but when she's on the court, she leads with power and finesse, and her team is always in the game.

Middles come in many varieties in club volleyball. Some times they are dominating offensive players with high reach, sometimes they are tough, physical blockers that control games with their defense. They are usually the tallest on the court and can mean the difference between a win and a loss in tight games. Here are some of the standouts from Philly.