Middles Coaches Need to Know Right Now

<a href="https://prepdig.com/subscribe/" id="https://prepdig.com/subscribe/">This article was shared with 150+ college coaches. Join PrepDig with 30% off using code: Coachable247</a>   The best middles rarely spend much time standing still. Every play asks something different of them. Close a block. Transition off the net. Create a passing lane. Communicate with a setter. Become available again.   The athletes featured below all experienced the SC Rockstar College Showcase a little differently, but many arrived at the same conclusion. The faster the game becomes, the more important movement, communication, and connection become.   Connection with setters. Connection with teammates. Connection between the work being done in practice and the confidence to execute it in competition.   Whether it was learning new transition routes, applying feedback from college coaches, or finding ways to stay available when rallies became chaotic, these athletes continued finding ways to impact the court.   These are a few middles coaches need to know right now.    Rose Weiss gets faster as the game speeds up.   Once the camp moved into more competitive 6-on-6 play, she found herself connecting more naturally with setters and becoming a bigger offensive option. What stood out was not necessarily a single swing, but how quickly those connections developed despite working with athletes she had never played alongside before.   The faster pace seemed to suit her.   As the competition increased, the game became more fluid, the tempo improved, and Rose felt herself settling into her role.   One of her favorite moments came during a middle-focused 5-on-5 drill when blocking became a bigger part of the action. The drill allowed her to showcase more of her game and helped her feel comfortable competing in a completely new environment.   The camp also gave her a chance to see how different college programs operate. With multiple coaches leading drills throughout the day, Rose enjoyed seeing the different expectations, coaching styles, and priorities each program brought to the gym.   This summer includes a UCSB camp, the WAVE/SG Camp, Nationals, and continued work with her strength and agility coach. As she continues developing, she is focused on becoming more explosive in transition and more aggressive at the net.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     For Addyson Duex, communication became even more important when the drills got faster.   As the pace increased, she found herself relying on communication to stay connected with her setters, especially during out-of-system situations where timing and clarity mattered most.   One rally in particular captured that connection.   During a long exchange, Addyson and her setter stayed in sync long enough to create an opportunity for a big swing that finished the point. The play stood out because it reflected the trust and communication she had been working to build all day.   The camp also introduced a new layer to her understanding of movement and efficiency. College coaches spent time teaching transition routes and footwork patterns that helped middles become available more quickly as offensive options.   Those details stuck with her.   Heading into summer, Addyson plans to continue training both in the gym and weight room while focusing on becoming a stronger blocker and more complete middle.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Paige Mundon enjoys the moments when the game speeds up.   While pressure can make some athletes tighten up, Paige felt herself settling in and focusing on the things she does best. Faster transitions, quicker offensive connections, and staying engaged with teammates all became important parts of her performance throughout the showcase.   One of the moments she remembers most came during a middle drill where athletes were running ones and threes with setters they had never worked with before.   The connections came quickly. A few big swings followed.   And hearing encouragement from college coaches after those plays gave her confidence that the work she has been putting in throughout the season is paying off.   Beyond the volleyball, one lesson continued to stand out. College coaches notice attitude. They notice body language. They notice how athletes respond to mistakes and celebrate teammates.   Paige repeatedly returned to the importance of being loud for her teammates, staying positive, and bringing energy to the court regardless of the score.   This summer includes the Long Beach State Recruiting Camp, strength and conditioning training, and preparing for another club season. Her goals are simple: become faster, jump higher, and continue building confidence in every part of her game.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Genesis Botts approached the camp with intention.   Throughout the day, she focused on making every touch count, whether that meant producing a block touch, finding a kill, helping in a scramble play, or communicating information that could help a teammate.   If she was not getting set, she was still involved. Talking. Reading. Helping.   That approach carried over into one of her favorite drills of the day. During a middle transition drill from Rotation 2, athletes were challenged to get around the setter and become available quickly. It was a skill Genesis had spent considerable time working on with her coaches, particularly opening her hips and attacking aggressively every time she transitioned.   Seeing that work show up in a competitive environment felt rewarding.   One lesson from the college coaches also stood out. Feedback was expected to be applied immediately. Not perfectly. Immediately.   Genesis appreciated the expectation because it reinforced something she already values: coachability.   Nationals are next on her schedule, along with continued work on her blocking recovery, lateral movement, and back-row development.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Abby Leeper's favorite moment came down to a single swing.   During a drill where teams could only score through the middles, Abby found herself on a slide attack with an opportunity to finish the rally.   She did.   The kill ended the drill and gave her team the points they needed.   The play reflected several things she had been working on throughout the season. Transitioning quickly off the net, becoming available to setters, and communicating loudly enough to be an offensive option all surfaced throughout her responses.   For Abby, one of the most valuable parts of the camp was simply being around college coaches.   She quickly realized that asking questions created opportunities to learn. The coaches were willing to provide feedback, but athletes had to be willing to engage and take advantage of those conversations.   With college camps and Nationals approaching, Abby is excited for more opportunities to compete, learn, and continue developing her game.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247     Lyric Caldwell spent much of the camp doing what she naturally enjoys doing...competing.   One of her favorite moments came during a middle-and-setter 5-on-5 game when she found herself playing left back, a position she does not normally play. During one rally, she made three consecutive saves and helped her team win a point that determined who advanced to the next court.   The sequence stood out because it required her to step outside her comfort zone. She embraced it.   Lyrics' communication, leadership, and supporting teammates continued to surface. Those qualities translated naturally as the competition increased and athletes were challenged to perform alongside unfamiliar teammates.   One message from the college coaches stayed with her throughout the day.   <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"> Do not play afraid. Play your game. Trust your abilities. </blockquote>   Her summer includes the USC Women of Troy Camp, strength and conditioning training, and continued work on becoming a more versatile attacker and blocker. Lyric is focused on expanding her game while maintaining the competitive edge that makes her difficult to ignore.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">If You Enjoyed This Article, Help Us Keep the Momentum Going</h2>   🔥 Athletes   The middles featured here all arrived at this camp with different strengths, goals, and experiences, but many walked away talking about the same things. Communication. Timing. Transitioning faster. Building trust with setters. Finding ways to stay involved even when the ball is not coming your way.   Study this group closely. Notice how they talk about becoming available, applying feedback, competing outside their comfort zones, and finding ways to impact the match beyond a kill or block. The athletes who continue growing are often the ones who stay connected to every play and every opportunity to learn.   📣 Club Coaches & Directors   Thank you for helping athletes develop the habits highlighted throughout this article. The communication, movement, confidence, and volleyball IQ these players referenced are built through thousands of reps, countless conversations, and a commitment to improvement long before athletes step into a showcase environment.   If one of your athletes is featured, celebrate them. Share the article, tag @PrepDigCA, and help others see the growth taking place inside your program.   🎯 College Coaches   The athletes featured here provided insight into how they approach one of the most demanding positions on the court. Beyond blocking and attacking, they spoke about communication, transition footwork, building connections with setters, embracing feedback, and learning how to stay available when the game speeds up.   Those details often become the difference between athletes who participate in rallies and athletes who consistently influence them. As these players continue developing through club, camps, and high school volleyball, those habits will continue to shape their growth.   🙏 Parents & Supporters   Thank you for supporting the journey behind every athlete featured in this article. The confidence, discipline, and growth reflected in these stories come from years of encouragement, long weekends in the gym, extra reps, and a willingness to keep showing up when improvement takes time.   If an athlete's story resonated with you, share this article and help celebrate the work, commitment, and progress that continue shaping these athletes both on and off the court.   🚀 <a href="https://prepdig.com/my-account/subscriptions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Upgrade to a PrepDig+ Subscription</a> Access exclusive rankings, deeper analysis, and the full Prospect Index to follow every athlete's journey.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   Want More Exposure? The PrepDig Showcase Series is designed for athletes who want to take ownership of their recruiting journey and better understand how visibility, evaluation, and opportunity work together. These events offer more than competition. They provide athletes with a chance to learn how exposure works, compete in front of evaluators, build confidence, and gain valuable insight into what coaches are looking for at each stage of development.   Whether your goal is to improve communication, showcase your skills, earn recognition, receive meaningful evaluation, or simply learn how to stand out in a competitive environment, each showcase is built to help athletes grow both on and off the court. If you're ready to invest in your development, tell your story, and put yourself on the radar, <a href="https://prepdig.com/all-events/?type=Showcase" id="https://prepdig.com/all-events/?type=Showcase">registration is open</a>.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/05/image_7a4b01.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-991561"/></figure>   Thank you for making today's wins matter — one article, one player, one memory at a time.   ~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247

This article was shared with 150+ college coaches. Join PrepDig with 30% off using code: Coachable247