Finding middle ground on the court

Brad Baker has a dilemma that most any other volleyball coach would die for.

Dare we say, too much talent in the middle?

Blessed with numbers and size at Benet, Baker is making a somewhat unorthodox maneuver this fall in moving 6-foot-2 Wisconsin recruit Meghan Haggerty outside.

Kids like 6-3 Gabby Pethokoukis, a Villanova signee and Benet junior, allow for creativity.

"We're in a unique situation that we have one of the best middles in the state in Meghan and we can do this," Baker said. "We're trying to have a pin player that nobody can game plan for."

Benet is just one source of a bumper crop of talent at middle in DuPage County this fall. Hinsdale Central's Ally Davis, West Chicago's Emily Paschke and Kathy Fletcher, Wheaton Warrenville South's Shealyn Kolosky, Daiva Wise of St. Francis and York's Morgan Semmelhack all are middles either committed to Division I collegiate programs or on their radar and critical to their team's success.

Powerhouse middles seem to be growing on trees in these parts, which Baker is quick to point out is far from the norm.

"It's hard to find good middles that have the size and fit the mold," Baker said. "When you have them you gotta really use them because you don't know when you're going to have them again."

Realistically at the Division I level a middle needs to be at least 6-1 or 6-2 with the ability to jump touch at least 9-8 or higher, Baker said.

But pure height doesn't necessarily translate to a top-flight middle.

"Our middles Emily and Kathy are both quick and move well laterally," West Chicago coach Kris Hasty said. "You can be tall but not very quick. It's that lateral quickness that puts them above some other middles that don't get to the outside and put up that solid block."

Hinsdale Central coach Sheralynn Kellough agrees that speed is essential.

"There's so much movement in that position," Kellough said. "Court smarts makes a huge difference too. Ally is somebody that sees attacking options well and she has a lot of nice finesse shots."

Perhaps the most obvious effect of the presence of a quality middle is on defense. The specter of a big block can alter an opponent's attack. Baker's recent Benet teams benefited from that intimidation with middles like Jessica Jendryk and Val Mattaliano two years ago to Haggerty, Pethokoukis and McKenzie Kuhn now.

"They take away more angles when they block," Baker said, "and require kids to hit the ball higher. That gives your kids more time to react defensively. And that doesn't even take into account the really good and really big middles that score points blocking. It's a whole domino effect."

That domino effect tips over to the offensive end as well. WW South coach Bill Schreier can attest to that, with the 6-3 Tennessee recruit Kolosky's presence.

"It allows you to keep the defense honest," Schreier said. "The block can't load up to a side; they have to be honest in the middle. She draws a block which opens up the outside."

Baker has five different sets that Benet runs with its middles offensively; that variation also makes it difficult for other teams to block. But running plays for middles to get touches can require more precise execution. Pinpoint passing is essential.

"Outsides, you just throw the ball nice and high," Baker said. "Middles need it close, we call them first tempo. It's quicker sets and the middles need to go on and off the net really quick. To run that first tempo the ball has to be within a certain range of the net; otherwise you can't run it."

Haggerty admitted that it can be frustrating at times to not get touches.

"In the middle you always have to be ready; you never know when you're going to get the ball," she said. "If I'm loud and communicate with my setter I know I'm going to get it. You need to be mentally strong. If not, you're not ready for the set."

Hasty has hammered home to her setter Payton Bayless the importance of utilizing two good middles while West Chicago has them.

"Our setter has almost got to force that middle," Hasty said, "because we have a tendency to throw it outside too much. I want our setter to think about not throwing it outside, even if the pass is not perfect. I've gotten it into her head that we have to use our middles. They're great players and we have to mix it up."

Kellough, who also has a second quality middle in senior Katarina Milojevic, appreciates Davis' increased maturity in working with her setter. Davis plays outside for Sports Performance and possibly was going to this fall for Hinsdale Central, but an injury to junior Sanne Hilbrich will keep Davis in the middle.

"It's the setter adjusting to the middle and the middle adjusting to the setter. It does need to be precise," Kellough said. "Ally doesn't have that ego, where it always has to be her way. And at 6-1 she's not intimidated when she goes up against the big 6-3 middles. That's something I like about her, is her attitude on the court."

The 12 best volleyball players in the county

Julia Conard jr. OH West Chicago

Ally Davis sr. MH Hinsdale Central

Meghan Haggerty jr. OH/MH Benet

Jenna Jendryk jr. OH/S Benet

Shealyn Kolosky sr. MH WW South

Jamie Netisingha sr. L Hinsdale Central

Lara Ontko sr. OH Benet

Caroline Rose jr. OH York

Natalia Skiba sr. OH Hinsdale Central

Martha Stewart sr. OH Waubonsie Valley

Jessie Tulacka jr. S/RS Downers Grove North

Meg Vonderhaar sr. OH St. Francis