The closing weekend of qualifying season was filled with excitement at Far Western in Reno. vballrecruiter.com was on hand, viewing as much of it as we could get to in three days. We took note of the players who made us take notice. Below, we bring you the top middle blockers we witnessed.
Charlotte Kelly, NorCal 15-1 Black – Kelly is one to get to know about! She’s 6-3 with tremendous potential. She has an easy swing and can crush it when she connects with one. She’s also effective on the slide and was getting her share of touches at the net.
Kalyssa Blackshear, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar – Blackshear is a 6-4 four-star recruit. She’s lanky and is a tough cover for defenses with her ability to see over the block and attack accordingly. With her length, she also puts up a imposing block.
Poema Ueligitone, Rage Westside 15 Jen – An eighth-grader playing up, Ueligitone is a bit undersized but can be relentless. She has some physicality to her and can hit with power.
Brooklyn Hardy, ID Crush 15 Bower – Watching Hardy, it’s hard to believe she’s part of the Class of 2026! She’s wirey with a quick swing, moves well and is a great option on the slide. We’ll be hearing plenty about her in years to come!
Bella Ehrlich, Absolute Black 15-1 – Ehrlich is a 6-2 three-star recruit. She has lots of upside to her. She sees the court well and can vary her attack to keep defenses off balanced.
Ada Awagu, SA Juniors 15 Adidas – A 6-2 three-star recruit, Awagu is still raw and figuring things out but she has a very high ceiling. She’s athletic and long and is someone to keep an eye on as she continues to improve.
Sophia Vella, NorCal 15-1 Black – Vella, at 6-0, is a hard worker and can also run the slide well. She gets her money worth on the attack, taking aggressive cuts and going at the defense.
Rory Tower, AZ Rev 15 Premier – Tower is fiery at times, especially after delivering a timely block. She’s 5-11 and was providing Rev stability in the middle being both a scoring threat and solid blocker.
Madeline Way, City Volleyball 16 Gold – A 6-1 three-star recruit, Way has the ability to make impacts on both side of the ball. She has a quick jump, which helps her be both a reliable scorer and effective blocker.
Tatum Sharp, Rocky 16 National – Rocky National had a nice run, putting itself in bid position on Day 3. Sharp was an integral part of that. She’s a freshman playing up and brings aggressiveness to the front row. She can line up and hit from the left, middle or right side.
Havannah Vogel, Temecula Viper 16 Mauro – Temecula is so much better when it’s getting Vogel involved. She’s 6-1 with a smooth swing and ability to score consistently.
Evie Hendrix, OMNI 16 John – Hendrix moves well for her height. With her length she puts up a solid block and gets plenty of touches.
Caroline Foraker, SynergyForce 16 James – At 6-2, Foraker can make an impact across the front row. She has a quick arm and adds an offensive dimension to the attack.
Briley Lackey, Vision 16 Gold – Lackey should be on the rise with her potential! She takes up plenty of space with her 6-4 frame. She has a fluid swing, runs the slide well and brings Vision up a notch when she’s getting involved.
Morgan Warren, Hou Skyline 16 Royal – A 5-10 middle, Warren adds a different dynamic to the lineup. She jumps well and can beat defenses with well-placed tips or hitting around the block.
Ingrid Zahn, SG Elite 16 Rosh – A three-star recruit, the 5-11 Zahn is a bit undersized but that doesn’t keep her from making herself known. She reads well and has great timing with her blocking. She shut down plenty of would-be attacks.
Zoey Burgess, Club V 16 Ren Wayne – A five-star recruit, Burgess is 6-2 and can play outside hitter as well as middle blocker. We’ve written plenty about her this season and she never disappoints. She has a powerful swing and hits at a high contact point. It makes her one of the more difficult middles to defend.
Preslie Yates, Absolute Black 16-1 – We like the upside this 6-1 middle has! Yates adds some physicality to the mix. She’s strong and has a powerful arm.
Mia Clayton, Absolute Black 16-1 – There were moments when Clayton provided a huge spark. She brings good energy, has a solid arm and was showing a knack for making timely blocks.
Hailey Heytvelt, OJVA 16-1 Gold – When Heytvelt has it going, it really elevates the OJVA attack. She has nice size at 6-1 and knows how to use the block, as well as being a great option on the slide.
Sophia Garza, OMNI 17 Rick – It’s a different game for OMNI when Garza is front row. She’s a 6-1 middle who moves well, runs a great slide attack and has a quick swing.
Alexandra Chandler, SynergyForce 17 Jeff – Synergy will go to Chandler when she’s checked in. She has a strong arm that generates good pace and she gets up pretty well too.
Mia Lee, Club V 17 Ren Reed – Lee should star at BYU, where she’s committed. She’s 6-0 but touches an incredible 10-7. Needless to say, she brings plenty of athleticism to the court. She can be a force offensively with her ability to sky and swing down.
Rachel Grier, NorCal 17-1 Black – Grier is a 6-4 middle committed to New Hampshire. She adds great size to the position and gives NorCal a big target in the middle to throw at defenses.
Taylor Harvey, Club V 17 Ren Reed – There’s no telling the heights this five-star recruit is going to reach! She’s a member of the Class of 2025 playing up two age levels. At 6-2, she’s lengthy, is agile and already an effective scorer. She’s only going to get better as she develops and gets stronger.
