Five Middles I Like From The Class Of ’25
Of the positions we break down after new rankings come out, middles are consistently the tallest group, for obvious reasons. In this case, however, this is an extraordinarily tall class headlined by this group of five. Here are the five…
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Continue ReadingOf the positions we break down after new rankings come out, middles are consistently the tallest group, for obvious reasons. In this case, however, this is an extraordinarily tall class headlined by this group of five. Here are the five middles I’ve noticed the most this spring.
Harper Holden Harper Holden 6'0" | MB Greenfield Central | 2025 State IN , 6-0, Greenfield-Central, Academy
An athlete who plays older than her age, Harper caught my eye last year when she physically owned any middle she went against in the Prep Dig Showcase at the Academy. Broad-shouldered and strong, Miss Holden is exceptional off of two feet and makes up defensive ground from pin to pin with her long strides. She’s just now cracking the surface of her potential, and has done so much in a short amount of time.
Lilly Howell Lilly Howell 6'2" | MB Muncie Burris | 2025 State IN , 6-2, Muncie Burris, Munciana
A defense-first middle, Lilly has already seen extensive time on varsity, and is getting high-level training from the folks at Munciana. Her long arms and natural volleyball instincts have her averaging well over a block per set in high school, and never seems to be on a losing team. Oddly enough, she’s also listed as a setter on her club’s website, but I have yet to see her run an offense. Stay tuned on that tidbit.
Ava Gutt Ava Gutt 5'11" | MB Hamilton Southeastern | 2025 State IN , 5-11, Hamilton Southeastern, Munciana Indy
The shortest of this bunch, Ava hits the heaviest ball, and does well as an M2. She uses her long stride and even longer arms to defend from pin to pin, and can hit multiple angles when attacking off of two feet. Keeping opponents honest with a whip of an arm is Miss Gutt’s M.O., and will shock a few setters who can’t/don’t play defense with her cutback shot.
Stella Terpening Stella Terpening 6'2" | MB Westfield | 2025 State IN , 6-2, Westfield, Boiler Juniors
Stella’s arms are what give her away; they’re super long, and are always ready on defense. On offense, she’s always ready to hit, and regularly takes the correct path in her approach as the M2 on Boiler Juniors’ 15-1 squad. Finally, her fast arm make taller blockers frustrated to stop her, while shorter blockers can’t defend someone who’s up that fast with a fast arm.
Ava Tindall Ava Tindall 6'0" | MB Homestead | 2025 State IN , 6-0, Homestead, Team Pineapple
From the Fort Wayne area, Ava is a true M1, consistently putting balls away behind the setter. Let’s not limit her, however; she does well in space and is always ready to hit when in front of the setter as well. I like her quick arm and feet, her ability to hit every shot in the book, and her ability to make shorter blockers seem irrelevant.