Must-See Athletes “Playing Up” in 2022: Middle Blockers

Among the group of athletes that are playing up this year, the position with the most momentum might be middle blockers. We might be able to prove that here, too. Our series on playing-up standouts started yesterday with pin hitters who have seen plenty of time in the spotlight this year. Now, though, we’re shifting our focus to an incredible pack of middle blockers that never fail to capture our attention. It’s no secret that the speed of volleyball increases as you climb up the age ladder. That progressively places more burden on middle blockers to keep up with quick offenses and seal blocks from pin to pin. With that in mind, it’s even more impressive to see the middles on this feature thriving while also playing up. So, let’s put a few names on your radar.   Haley Robinson Haley Robinson 6'2" | MB Ridgeview | 2024 FL - 6’2 MB - OT 17 J John - Class of 2024 I’ve followed OT 17 J John around to various national qualifiers, and Robinson has been dominant the whole way. She is so strong at the net and presses over effectively to form a nearly impenetrable block. Robinson has also shown her impressive range as an attacker. When she gets the chance to split out behind the setter in two-hitter rotations, look out! This middle blocker’s one-footed attacks are progressing quickly and will continue to lead the way for OTVA.   Cy Rae Campbell Cy Rae Campbell 5'11" | MB Heritage Christian | 2024 State #15 Nation KS - 5’11 MB - Dynasty 17 Black - Class of 2024 Campbell is developing at a lightning-fast pace -- a pace that actually resembles her playstyle, too. Her quick arm is terminal wherever she’s attacking at the net, whether it’s in the A gap or farther out on a 31. Opposing blockers often struggle to keep track of Campbell, as she runs some quick routes and can approach from sharp angles. There’s no question that Dynasty feels confident putting Campbell among all the incredible talent we’ve seen in 17s competition this year.   Kaia Caffee Kaia Caffee 6'4" | MB Buffalo | 2024 State #17 Nation MN - 6’4 MB - MN Select 17-1 - Class of 2024 You had to figure MN Select 17-1 would show up on this series again. 2022 is going to be a huge year for Caffee, both with Select and with USAV’s training program this summer. She’s part of a huge, imposing MN Select frontcourt that showed its true potential at April’s Show Me Qualifier. Caffee’s rare combination of quickness and length will certainly have college recruiters buzzing as we head into the long-anticipated month of June. Earned it!@MNSelect 17-1 wins 30-28 in the second set to lock up a 3-0 record in Gold pools and advance to the 17 Open championship. Nationals bound! pic.twitter.com/IsuPorW6Dd — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) April 11, 2022   Saida Jacobs Saida Jacobs 6'1" | MB Mill Valley | 2025 KS - 6’1 MB - Dynasty 16 Black - Class of 2025 We’re not done talking about Dynasty here. With how dominant 16 Black has been this year, it’s even more startling that this squad is anchored by some young 2025 phenoms. Fitz talked about Abigail Mullen and Reese Messer here, and you know I’ll jump at the chance to talk about Jacobs. This 2025 middle blocker has been a steady scorer in front of the setter during Dynasty’s extraordinary championship runs in 2022. Jacobs is also frequently the anchor to a 16 Black block that might go underappreciated at times due to the team’s eye-popping offense.   Shelby Burriss Shelby Burriss 6'2" | MB Lovejoy | 2025 State TX - 6’1 MB - Dallas Skyline 16 Royal - Class of 2025 Burriss is a perfect fit for the multi-faceted offense that Dallas Skyline has put on display this year. She’s tasked with running a variety of crossing patterns and combination plays that never fail to keep opponents guessing. You can expect this 2025 middle blocker to get involved early and often when 16 Royal is passing well, and Burriss will frequently hit over any blockers across from her. That ought to be a surefire way to score.   Gillen-Malveaux attacks for 16 Red at the Northern Lights Qualifier. Zoe Gillen-Malveaux Zoe Gillen-Malveaux 6'3" | MB Greenhill | 2025 State TX - 6’3 MB - Drive Nation 16 Red - Class of 2025 Time to stay in Texas and revisit a player that I took note of after NLQ in March. Gillen-Malveaux’s power and physicality leave little doubt that she belongs on a 16s team with Drive Nation. Her footwork is becoming more polished all the time, which has recently helped lead to some floor-denting attacks that are simply impossible to defend. This is a middle blocker who is clearly ready to take on all the hard-hitting matches that the Lone Star State has to offer.   Makenzie Miller Makenzie Miller 6'0" | MB Liberty North | 2025 MO - 6’0 MB - Pohaku 16-1 - Class of 2025 Maybe the Kansas City area will start gaining a reputation for middle blockers playing up. We’ve had a few of them here. Miller has done some great work locking down the middle blocker spot for Pohaku this season, and that has come with some attention-grabbing performances for her team. This middle blocker always hustles in transition and regularly creates scoring opportunities with her block touches. Miller and Pohaku have a permanent place on my radar after an eye-opening 2022 campaign.