A longer-than-she-looks M2 for the next level, Emerson comes from central Indiana’s equivalent of Middle Blocker High School. The Eagles have a seemingly endless supply of long and lean middles that are exceptional attacking high and showing above average skill as a defender. Emerson’s long arms make her a plus net defender, while her two-footed attack looks primed for an immediate plug-and-play option for a smaller school looking for an M2.

One of MANY long and lean middles to come out of Zionsville, Emerson is hidden away nicely at Academy’s regional club named Monon Select. Having length for days, Emerson’s quick transition to a zero tempo ball is one of the better ones in the “available middles” category. A little training might be needed, as she’s currently hitting the ball on her way down from her high attack touch. No matter; she still terminates higher than most available middles in this class and has a ton of high-level experience to go along with her athleticism. You can’t teach six feet, and Emerson is one of many to pass through the Eagles’ hallways with such length.

Tucked away on Academy’s sister club, Monon Select, Emerson has a ton of length to manipulate attacking angles and cause problems for opposing attackers. It does help that she’s six feet in height, but she plays so much bigger than that. Even on less-than-perfect attacks, she finds ways to (1) keep the ball in play, and (2) still find an angle to score points with. One other trait that I find quite recruitable is that she’s always available to hit. This time of year has a host of middles that are tired, frustrated, or just flat out don’t have the willingness to be up and ready to hit at a moment’s notice. Emerson, without fail, is ALWAYS ready to hit.