BEAUMONT, Texas – With the official start of the 2019 campaign just two weeks away, LamarCardinals.com is taking time to inspect this season's squad on a position-by-position basis. Today's focus is the middle blocker.

Middle Blockers
Middle blockers must be quick both physically and mentally; they need to get from one end of the court to the other fast enough to block the ball, and they need to be able to "read" the opposing setter quickly enough to anticipate where the pass will go. Middles also play a role in keeping other teams off balance by hitting quick sets. Like the defensive specialist, middle blockers are key to your team's defense.

"Middle is a difficult position to play," said Kuester. "They have to work incredibly hard and don't typically get a lot of glory. They are sometimes seen as the decoy for the outside hitter. They are incredibly important for running a successful offense but won't see a ton of attacking attempts. They are also important for defense because our system is built around their ability to close blocks on the pins."
 
The middles bring back perhaps the most years of experience for this young team in 2019 with Bre'Ala Box, a junior, and Dannisha House, a senior, both returning to the team after great 2018 campaigns. Joining them is Malaysia Murdock, a freshman phenom widely expected to make a big impact in the Southland Conference this year.

Bre'Ala Box
Box was second on the team in total blocks in 2018 with 44, averaging almost half a block a set, and she also averaged over one and a half kills a set, fourth on the team. She has appeared in 151 career sets as a Cardinal with 225 kills and 73 total blocks in that time and has just 13 blocking errors in her career. She upped her serving as well from 2017 to 2018, totaling 11 more aces last year than in her freshman campaign.

"Bre could see time in the middle or on the right side," said Kuester. "Bre is a high-flying player with a very fast arm. She saw considerable playing time last year and made big strides this spring in her consistency. She has a really good ability to work around blockers and often saw a triple block last year. We anticipate teams to game plan the same way this year and have worked hard to expand her shot selection."

Dannisha House
House had 1.47 kills a set and over half a block a set in 2018, finishing fifth on the team in total points with 154. She started 21 of 26 matches and played in 83 sets. In her career she has 364 kills and 159 total blocks through 239 sets played, averaging about 1.52 kills a set and .67 blocks a set.

"Dannisha is a strong and physical athlete," said Kuester. "She may find time in the middle or on the right side as well. She is the best blocker we have in the gym so we definitely want to utilize that strength to our advantage.  Her experience from the past three years will come in handy for us this season being such a young team."

Malaysia Murdock
Murdock was a four-year letterwinner at Mansfield Legacy High School and the 2018 District Offensive Player of the Year. She led her team to a 27-18 overall record and an 11-3 mark in district play while also playing club ball for 360 Volleyball. She was a four-time Academic All-District member as well and a 2018 Player to Watch according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

"Malaysia is a tremendous athlete with a huge ceiling," said Kuester. "She comes in touching 10'4" which will make her a big offensive threat in Southland Conference play. With some tweaks to her play she should also make a big difference defensively with her ability to move laterally to shut opponents' attackers down."

Check back with LamarCardinals.com on Monday for the final position preview - the outside and right side hitters.