If there was such a thing as “Middle Blocker High School”, Zionsville is it. Maddie is a long and lean middle that is fast on transition and has a solid arm swing to hit all angles regardless of where the ball is set. On net defense, Miss Herman’s long strides allow her to defend from pin to pin with ease, and is rarely beat on the block because of that length of hers. Of the middles still available to this day, Maddie is the one that we expect to get the next offer for the next level, because the entire package is already there—it’s just a matter of where she could fit, as there are multiple systems out there that could use her services.

Long, lean and with quick feet, Maddie is a next-level M2 in the making. She excels attacking in front of the setter, and is seemingly always available to hit. Her block probably needs a little width to it, but she gets so far across in her net penetration that it hardly matters. Most middles with Maddie’s build are either (1) new born giraffes, with little coordination, or (2) lithe with little strength. Maddie has a ton of fast coordination with her leg drive, while pounding kills regularly in front of the setter. If Yorktown is Libero High School, then Zionsville can be called Middle High School, and Maddie is one of many that can call themselves Eagles.

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure where to start with this young lady. I guess I will start with the fact that whatever D1 school decides to sign her, they are in for a great MB who is only going to get better and better from what I see. She is long and lean, extremely fast in transition and runs behind the setter well. Maddie is an M1 in my book for sure – she can terminate on the slide very efficiently and hits all directions with pace. Herman is great in front of the setter as well and is VERY GOOD at staying off the net (spacing) so she can swing around the block. Lastly, her block is big – Maddie shows that you don’t have to be way over 6′ tall to be a great middle blocker. I believe this young lady is going to just continue to get better and shine.

Springy and quick on transition, Maddie is an M2 with the ability to be an M1 at the next level. Although her transition makes her extra fast and ready to attack in front of the setter, her ability to go get the ball behind the setter matches her speed with her whip of an arm. I’m a fan of her ENTIRE game—offense, defense and willingness to do the dirty work to get it done for whatever squad she’s on. There aren’t too many that go faster than she, in this or any class.

If length is your strength, then look no further than Miss Herman. Her long arms and long legs allow her to defend from pin to pin with ease, while attacking at a high point and making some blocks look irrelevant. Speaking of her attack point, she terminates well both in front of and behind the setter. Explosive on every jump, she is always ready to attack, and is tough to defend with the arsenal of shots she has at her disposal.

Maddie is a springy, quick-twitch middle who can thrive in either middle position. Her attacks in front of the setter have her always up and ready to hit, while her slide attacks have her chasing the ball, creating explosiveness in the jump with every step. Her whip of an arm is hard to duplicate in this class as well, and her placement on Academy’s 17-1 squad should allow her to use those skills on an open-level schedule. Maddie’s net defense is solid as well, as her arms make her look taller than she actually is.