They say that “you can’t teach six feet”, which is true. But there are a lot of 6’+ kids out there that need PLENTY of coaching and motivation. Karleigh is NOT one of those kids. Long, lean and always ready to produce kills on cue, Miss Smith is an active and athletic middle that can take over offensively and defensively at a moment’s notice. No motivation required for this one, as her work in both our showcases and during high-level club play this spring easily make her one of the top middles in this class.

Back-to-back HSE kids at the same high-level tournament is not uncommon. Both being in the top 60 in the same recruiting class isn’t either, as Karleigh brings it with her size and ability. An M2 through and through, Miss Smith is up and ready to swing on every ball every time. No play is a break for any opposing blocker, and her high attack point puts defenses on high alert constantly. Unlike a lot of over-six-foot middles in this class, her arm swing is high and “snappy”—-she rotates through the ball quickly to terminate at will when set in-system.

With length for days and a terminal mentality in her play, Karleigh is yet another long and lean middle from central Indiana. Although she’s not as fluid as some, you can’t teach 6’2”, and that fluidity will come with experience and training. It also seems that her attack touch is even higher than when I saw her last in our pre-high-school showcase in July. A 6’2” middle, with an ever-increasing attack touch and high-end training and knowledge of the game? You could do a lot worse in this (or any) class at the middle blocking position.

Long, lean, athletic and quick, Karleigh has the length that a lot of middles at the Exposure Tour lacked. Her defense was solid—-normally, lithe middles struggle to take up space on the block, Miss Smith was more than able to slow down multiple attacks on Saturday. As an attacker, I like her more as an M2, as she’s always ready to swing with her quick transition. She knows the game, she’s fast and athletic, and is north of 6′ by a distinct margin. This is a next-level middle in the making, and should fit in just fine in open-level play for TI this spring.

Long, lean and smooth for days, Karleigh got stronger as the fall season went on. On size alone, she should get a ton of attention this spring, as her arms make her look taller than her 6’2” frame would otherwise indicate. I like her attack height, her use of length on defense, and her overall smoothness when she plays. She’s already comfortable as an M2, so here’s to hoping she’s going to develop even further with TI during club season.

Karleigh is a repeat attendee to our showcase. Doing well among her fellow freshmen last summer, I’m looking forward to her advancement since then. She had a solid freshman campaign at 4A volleyball power HSE, and her season for TI’s 15.2 was exceptional as well. Her length is her strength—she’s listed as 6’2″, but her wingspan makes her look (and play) much taller than she is. For now, she’s an M2, as her front-of-the-setter attack is well-trained. Defensively, she penetrates well for her age group, and of course those arms certainly help.

After dominating her own age group at our Stock Up Showcase in August, Karleigh had a solid freshman campaign at HSE this past fall. Tucked away on TI’s 15.2 squad, Miss Smith has arms that make her look taller than she is, and uses them wisely on both defense and offense. I like the smoothness that she displayed when we had her at our showcase. To me, that shows an athletic acuity that’s either coming, already here, or ready to advance to faster and more athletic movements. No matter what you think of her, you’re getting a fluid, long and lean middle that’s getting better with each practice.

Because of the depth of talent at HSE, Karleigh is currently laying waste to all freshman teams on her schedule. Her long arms make her look taller than her six foot frame would indicate, and has the speed and grace to terminate at this (or any) high level. I’m looking forward to her development next club season, as she made mince meat of the the freshmen at our showcase back in August.