Six Rotation Middles

[uofaGRAD]

Were there any 6ro middles this season? Who have been some notable ones since the liberos was implemented?

Just thinking about it because I’m stunned Georgia didn’t have Sophie Fischer run 6ro this season. I mean seriously, they’re way underperforming and still nothing lol. I was a little surprised Amber was never allowed to at Hawaii either. especially when Hawaii’s liberos weren’t at the level they probably should’ve been during her career (sorry!) and all of their pins being able to pass in 2023. I mean hell, her floor defense was excellent, granted she did seem a little slowed by an injury in 2023 so maybe a back row attack would’ve been ineffective (granted, it’s not like Riley, Caylen, or Hakas were effective last season. hell the other middle hit under .300 too)

[widdledumpling]

Not this year, but does Sha'dare McNeal count?

[vballfreak808]

Bring back Kaitlynn Pelger!!

[uofaGRAD]

Nov 21, 2024 16:48:38 GMT -5 widdledumpling said:

Not this year, but does Sha'dare McNeal count?

did she block in the middle or the right? I can’t remember right now lol

[uofaGRAD]

Nov 21, 2024 16:56:18 GMT -5 vballfreak808 said:

Bring back Kaitlynn Pelger!!

damn! never heard of her before but THIS is what I’m talking about!! this should’ve been Sophie this season!

[trojansc]

in recent-ish history:

-Morgan Hughes (Boise State)
-also Taylor Hughes kind of counts (Setter, Ohio State) due to injuries, Ohio St. shifted their lineup to have Hughes block and set from middle in the front-row, running a 5-1 with two opposites
-Lisvel Eve-Mejia

[speegs13]

Olivia Nicholson at Colorado State sorta did for a bit her senior year. She was a middle in high school, but played primarily as a receiving opposite in college. In fact, she either played or started in every position for CSU except at setter. 

When Paulina Hougaard-Jensen was injured, Nicholson (at opposite) filled in with another middle, where she would hit and block from the middle on serve, and hit/block from the right on serve receive.

[dinonugs]

Didn’t Fischer play a few games at 6ro this year when Georgia had all those injuries?

[trojansc]

Nov 21, 2024 17:05:26 GMT -5 speegs13 said:

Paulina Hourgaard-Jensen

Back when Colorado State middles used to be gold in the Fantasy League

[uofaGRAD]

Nov 21, 2024 17:07:49 GMT -5 dinonugs said:

Didn’t Fischer play a few games at 6ro this year when Georgia had all those injuries?

sorta kinda I think, but they abandoned it quickly when the opposite got back even though she was probably attacking better back row than front lol. Sophie was lined up as an opposite I think

[hipsterfilth]

Nov 21, 2024 16:42:40 GMT -5 uofaGRAD said:

Were there any 6ro middles this season? Who have been some notable ones since the liberos was implemented?

Just thinking about it because I’m stunned Georgia didn’t have Sophie Fischer run 6ro this season. I mean seriously, they’re way underperforming and still nothing lol. I was a little surprised Amber was never allowed to at Hawaii either. especially when Hawaii’s liberos weren’t at the level they probably should’ve been during her career (sorry!) and all of their pins being able to pass in 2023. I mean hell, her floor defense was excellent, granted she did seem a little slowed by an injury in 2023 so maybe a back row attack would’ve been ineffective (granted, it’s not like Riley, Caylen, or Hakas were effective last season. hell the other middle hit under .300 too)

100% agreed on Fischer. She was SUCH a dominant OH in high school and she played at the highest division. I felt she was only moved to middle in club / at Kentucky bc of her height. If Georgia is struggling THIS badly, at least go back to letting her bomb away on D balls out of the back row -- what could it possibly hurt? She's shown she's more than capable of doing it.

PS -- i love watching HS vball for this reason bc in the last match I watched (in Michigan's smallest division - enrollment less than 200), the team had 7 total players, didn't use a libero or have the 7th girl play at all. They just won their state semifinal with all pins and middles playing six ros, both OH's and both middles hitting pipes and D balls lol. It's so fun to watch to me.

[dinonugs]

Nov 21, 2024 17:18:48 GMT -5 uofaGRAD said:

Nov 21, 2024 17:07:49 GMT -5 dinonugs said:

Didn’t Fischer play a few games at 6ro this year when Georgia had all those injuries?

sorta kinda I think, but they abandoned it quickly when the opposite got back even though she was probably attacking better back row than front lol. Sophie was lined up as an opposite I think

Yea, I don’t understand why Black keeps trying to force Lovett and Muoneke into being his go to girls when he has Fischer. It’s literally killed their season and turned the SEC POY into a very meh player this year. Definitely poor coaching decisions from him this year imo

[widdledumpling]

Nov 21, 2024 16:56:26 GMT -5 uofaGRAD said:

Nov 21, 2024 16:48:38 GMT -5 widdledumpling said:

Not this year, but does Sha'dare McNeal count?

did she block in the middle or the right? I can’t remember right now lol

She was a middle who we put at R/S because she was so good at passing, digging, and setting. She put up amazing moon ball sets to the outside on OOS plays instead of the libero

[NubesPila]

Ancient history - Lauren Cacciamani from PSU. 1999 MVP.

[staticb]

Statistically, it's one of those things where I think--of all the D1 volleyball teams in the country where it's impossible that no middle is in the Top 3/4 passers on their team in passing and defense.
(and can see time in the back row)

Is middle so specialized that they can't also work on their back row? Is playing middle that exhausting that they always need the break? There's even been some teams in some rotations where if the middle could pass like a 1.5 covering a small section of the court--it would help a team not always get stuck and unable to side out in a certain rotation.