2022 Middle Blockers
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This is our most experienced position with both starters, the back up and a new freshman making up the middle blockers reporting this fall. And if you make a trip down the historical lane of Flyer Volleyball, Dayton has ruled the middle in the A10 for about 2 decades. Starting with Faye Barhorst’s freshman year in 2003, you will find an honor roll of MBs who have earned Rookie of the Year, 1st & 2nd team A10 and several Player of the Year winners. The best Dayton teams had two talented Middles and this year will be the same.
6’5” Amelia Moore enters her 5th year as a Flyer. She had a medical redshirt her freshman year, and with the Covid year, she is officially a redshirt junior. She has been a starter every year she has been healthy, including the first couple weekends as a freshman. She’s been a 2nd team All-Conference selection the last two years.
6’6’ Lanye Yates is a Covid redshirt sophomore. Like Moore, she has been a starter each of her years at Dayton. She was on the All-Rookie All Conference team two years ago, but missed out on post season awards last year, even as she put up good numbers. She actually hit better than Moore- .294 vs .251. Moore had better blocking numbers 1.20/set vs 1.11/set. Only one MB serves, and that was Moore. Lanye played well enough last year to be an All-conference award winner. We just had so many (9 out of 31 awards) and it’s just hard for the conference coaches to give more to one team. Lanye drew the short end if that straw.
I expect both Amelia and Layne to have huge years. You’ve got to have a great pass for the setter to be able to set MBs. We will be young in the back court, but we will be talented. And most importantly, all of our setters will be better from day one. In today’s game, you need for your middles to hit in the mid .300s. The elite MBs are now hitting just over .400.
6’2” Lindsey Winner is a Covid redshirt sophomore. Lindsey has been out backup Middle for the past three years. As she enters her 4th year in the program she is in a great position to have her best year. She is especially good at coming in for the setter in the front row as a blocking specialist when we need a side out. Will she push Amelia or Lanye for a starting position? She is certainly capable. It comes down to the best combination of players. Amelia has also played right side Outside Hitter. We have to find a new right side OH. So it might come down to the best combination of players in the rotation. It’s certainly an opportunity for Lindsey.
6’4” Liana Sarkissian, a freshman out of Greenwich, CT. I don’t know a lot about her. She has only played volleyball 5 years. She did play all 6 rotations which is impressive. When Covid shut down team sports, she and her dad worked on Wright training in their basement. Many freshmen come in needing to get stronger. They don’t get to work on it much until the spring after the first season. Liana might report ahead of that curve. She is Armenian which will be a great cultural experience for the entire team. Finally, she was named the best volleyball player in CT and won the Gatorade VB POY award. That’s very impressive.
6’5” Amelia Moore enters her 5th year as a Flyer. She had a medical redshirt her freshman year, and with the Covid year, she is officially a redshirt junior. She has been a starter every year she has been healthy, including the first couple weekends as a freshman. She’s been a 2nd team All-Conference selection the last two years.
6’6’ Lanye Yates is a Covid redshirt sophomore. Like Moore, she has been a starter each of her years at Dayton. She was on the All-Rookie All Conference team two years ago, but missed out on post season awards last year, even as she put up good numbers. She actually hit better than Moore- .294 vs .251. Moore had better blocking numbers 1.20/set vs 1.11/set. Only one MB serves, and that was Moore. Lanye played well enough last year to be an All-conference award winner. We just had so many (9 out of 31 awards) and it’s just hard for the conference coaches to give more to one team. Lanye drew the short end if that straw.
I expect both Amelia and Layne to have huge years. You’ve got to have a great pass for the setter to be able to set MBs. We will be young in the back court, but we will be talented. And most importantly, all of our setters will be better from day one. In today’s game, you need for your middles to hit in the mid .300s. The elite MBs are now hitting just over .400.
6’2” Lindsey Winner is a Covid redshirt sophomore. Lindsey has been out backup Middle for the past three years. As she enters her 4th year in the program she is in a great position to have her best year. She is especially good at coming in for the setter in the front row as a blocking specialist when we need a side out. Will she push Amelia or Lanye for a starting position? She is certainly capable. It comes down to the best combination of players. Amelia has also played right side Outside Hitter. We have to find a new right side OH. So it might come down to the best combination of players in the rotation. It’s certainly an opportunity for Lindsey.
6’4” Liana Sarkissian, a freshman out of Greenwich, CT. I don’t know a lot about her. She has only played volleyball 5 years. She did play all 6 rotations which is impressive. When Covid shut down team sports, she and her dad worked on Wright training in their basement. Many freshmen come in needing to get stronger. They don’t get to work on it much until the spring after the first season. Liana might report ahead of that curve. She is Armenian which will be a great cultural experience for the entire team. Finally, she was named the best volleyball player in CT and won the Gatorade VB POY award. That’s very impressive.