How to become a middle blocker in college volleyball

Hi, I'm a middle blocker and a sophomore in high school. I currently don't have a club team, but I have played club for 3 years and I live in a small town in Arkansas so those teams were never that big of a deal. 

I do play school ball and I'm 5'8. I know I want to go to a d1 school for volleyball. I go to college camps every summer but I don't feel like I'm excelling in my position right now. What can I do to become a better middle blocker, and what do I need to do since I want to be a college athlete. 

N.C.

I need to be direct with you - As a 5'8" MB, you are not going to play Division I volleyball.  If you were at 5'8" outside hitter with elite level skill sets combined with great athleticism, it would be tough but more realistic to secure a DI opportunity.

Because of your height, position, lack of upper level club association and your geographic location (Arkansas is not known as a "volleyball" state like Texas or California), I strongly suggest that you start considering Junior College programs as your first step into collegiate volleyball.

Junior College programs are a great for athletes who need an opportunity.  JC schools allow athletes to develop skill sets when they did not play club volleyball or come from a Volleyball state, they allow students to increase their academic credentials, they allow players to transition into a newer position, they can provide additional time for players recovering from injury, etc.

JC's also enjoy a variety of scholarship avenues for their players; athletic, academic, merit and need based which can provide tremendous financial support as players move into collegiate volleyball.

If you want to become a better middle blocker, go watch elite level middle blockers play college volleyball.  Go to DI matches, DII matches, etc., and watch the collegiate middle blockers compete.  Mimic what they are doing.  If you want to play college volleyball, you can see immediately the skill sets you need to have as a MB to play at that level.  How do they block, how do they run the slide, how is their transition footwork, etc.

College camps tend to be volleyball vacations rather than elite level training environments.  They are probably expressing what you need to do to get better, but they are not providing maximum repetitions and review because this is not what college camps do.

If you need such person direction, then you should consider private lessons which a coach experienced in developing elite level MB's.  

Good luck!

Coach