Rilynn Wingenback has been one of the most physically imposing middles I’ve tracked all season, but what separates her is how she uses that size with intention. At 6’4”, she isn’t just long—she’s effective. Her ability to get off the floor quickly and establish early in first tempo has made her a consistent scoring threat on 1s and quick pushes. When the connection is there, she’s finishing at a point that most blocks simply can’t match.

At the net, she’s becoming a problem. Rilynn is learning how to press across the tape with authority, taking away angles and forcing attackers into uncomfortable swings. Her growth from early-season events to now has been noticeable—more discipline, better timing, and a stronger presence every time out. With continued development in speed and strength, she profiles as a true difference-maker who can control the net at the next level. ~Theresa @prepdigdakotas

I walked away with a lot of thoughts last week after going back through some previous matches on the season, then adding in the ones from Nationals. Listen, at her age, my opinion is that her play at the net defensively is elite. Her ability to track the ball is impressive. The way she can move laterally to take away an angle on the pin is a thing of beauty. Even though she is listed at 6’4″, her technique and effort to press over the net, chef’s kiss. One thing about her, she is not lazy, and when middles say they don’t get enough touches, watch her work after a block attempt or touch to get off the net and make herself available for a set.

Offensively, she shows great promise on one foot on the slide. She swings with the same enthusiasm and power as directly in front of the setter on quick sets. You can see the work in progress on quick 2’s in the gap, and they will continue to improve with timing with the setter. The thing that makes Wingenbach dangerous is her ability to read the defense and use her vision of the court. She maneuvers her way around the block consistently to find open spots on the floor. An area I see her continuing to work on is adding more shots to her package; tips, roll shots, throws, etc, as she starts playing against more teams with equally big frontlines.

She has spent time training with the National Team Development Program and has the potential to be a special player, and she has demonstrated the work ethic to see it to fruition.

I’m listing Wingenbach as one to watch primarily because she entered our first ranking as the number one-ranked prospect in the class. This is a good opportunity to see up close and personal the 6’4″ middle. HPSTL 15 Royal will start their play at Bluhawk.

We went back and forth with our top two and couldn’t go wrong either way. At 6’4″ and the ability to play in the middle and on the pin, Wingenbach will be a top prospect in this class. She is fluid along the front row and a headache for opponents. During the high school season, she had just shy of 250 kills, hitting above a .330 clip.

The 6’3″ Wingenbach showed in her first year at Union she is a name we all should get to know. A .337 hitting percentage and 243 kills were some highlighted statistics to mention. She has tremendous upside and coaches will love her physicality at the net.