Volleyball middle blocker benchmarks: what each level actually looks like
These are the numbers Athlete Quotient scores every volleyball middle blocker against - not a coach's opinion, and not a chart copied from a message board.
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Middle Blocker benchmarks by level
| Metric | D1 elite | D1 | D1 floor | D2 | D3 | HS varsity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assists Per Set | 0.125 | 0.055 | - | - | - | 0.033 |
| Blocks Per Set | 0.681 | 0.488 | - | 0.445 | 0.353 | 0.260 |
| Digs Per Set | 0.634 | 0.321 | 0.211 | 0.143 | 0.086 | 0.051 |
| Hitting % | .359 | .268 | - | .242 | .201 | .160 |
| Kills Per Set | 2.230 | 1.450 | - | - | 1.365 | 1.281 |
Your numbers are on this ladder. Type them once and the scorer places them, 0-100, against these same benchmarks.
Score my numbersThe bar for a middle blocker is not the bar for a volleyball player in general. Against the sport-wide D1 rung, this position asks for blocks per set: 0.488 (0.208 higher than the sport-wide volleyball D1 rung), digs per set: 0.321 (0.770 lower than the sport-wide volleyball D1 rung), hitting %: .268 (.061 higher than the sport-wide volleyball D1 rung), kills per set: 1.450 (0.083 lower than the sport-wide volleyball D1 rung).
Check your number
Where do your numbers land?
Pick a metric, type your number, and it is read against the middle blocker ladder above, right here on the page. It is never sent and never stored.
One number is one rung. Your full AQ Score reads all five dimensions against these same tables - free, no account needed.
Place your numbers on this ladder
A table tells you the bar. Your AQ Score tells you where you stand against it - all five dimensions, your gaps, and the level you actually fit, scored by the same engine these benchmarks come from. Your first score is free.
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Other volleyball benchmarks
These are measured sport-wide rather than by position, so they apply to a middle blocker the same way they apply to anyone else on the roster.
| Metric | D1 elite | D1 | D1 floor | D2 | D3 | HS varsity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aces Per Set | 0.327 | 0.179 | 0.088 | 0.010 | 0.006 | 0.004 |
| Approach Vertical (in) | 30 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 17 |
Common questions
What is a good assists per set for a middle blocker?
Athlete Quotient's D1 benchmark for a middle blocker is 0.055. The D2 rung is -, D3 is -, and high school varsity is 0.033. The elite D1 rung is 0.125.
What is a good blocks per set for a middle blocker?
Athlete Quotient's D1 benchmark for a middle blocker is 0.488. The D2 rung is 0.445, D3 is 0.353, and high school varsity is 0.260. The elite D1 rung is 0.681.
How to read these
Each column is a rung on the Athlete Quotient benchmark ladder - the bar the engine scores every athlete against - not a cutoff and not an entry price. Being under a rung does not close a door. It tells you the size of the gap, which is the only number you can actually train against.
These are Athlete Quotient's own benchmarks. Where a published college figure exists we use it; where none exists, the rung is ours. We would rather say that than claim a source we do not have.
These tables are the same ones the scoring engine uses, exported from it rather than retyped, so a page can never quietly disagree with a score. More: how AQ builds benchmarks.