FAIRFIELD, Ala. (Oct. 19, 2026) — The LeMoyne Owen College women's volleyball team wrapped up a challenging weekend of SIAC competition at the Miles Crossover, facing Spring Hill College, Tuskegee University and host Miles College on October 16–17.
Despite finishing the weekend 0–3, the Magicians displayed resilience and individual improvement throughout the tournament, highlighted by standout performances from Jada Griffin, Madelyn Ross, Makayla Smith and Kennedy White.
LeMoyne Owen opened the crossover Friday against Spring Hill College, falling in straight sets (13–25, 9–25, 16–25). Griffin and White led the offensive attack with six kills apiece, while Jordan Williams and Rylee Foerster each contributed five kills. Ross recorded 20 assists, and Smith anchored the defense with 13 digs.
The Magicians returned to action Saturday morning against Tuskegee University, delivering one of their more competitive performances of the weekend. LOC captured the opening set 25–19 before Tuskegee rallied to claim the next three sets (25–15, 25–21, 25–21).
White led the Magicians with 12 kills, 12 digs and four service aces, recording a double-double. Griffin and Foerster added nine kills apiece, while Ross orchestrated the offense with a weekend-high 37 assists. Defensively, Smith recorded 22 digs as LeMoyne Owen outpaced Tuskegee 64–51 in total digs.
In their final match against host Miles College, the Magicians continued to battle despite dropping the contest in four sets (7–25, 19–25, 27–25, 22–25).
After falling behind two sets, LeMoyne Owen responded with an impressive 27–25 third-set victory. Griffin delivered her strongest offensive performance of the weekend, finishing with a match-high 16 kills while hitting an efficient .317. Ross added 33 assists, while Smith registered a weekend-high 23 digs.
Malani Duncan also provided a major defensive presence at the net, recording seven total blocks, including two solo blocks. The Magicians finished the match with nine team blocks compared to eight for Miles.
Individual Standouts
Across the three-match crossover, several Magicians put together notable performances.
Griffin led LeMoyne Owen offensively with 31 total kills, averaging 2.82 kills per set. The outside hitter improved her production throughout the weekend, recording six kills against Spring Hill, nine against Tuskegee and 16 against Miles.
Ross remained the driving force behind the Magicians' offensive attack, totaling 90 assists across 11 sets, an average of 8.18 assists per set. She also contributed 18 digs and three service aces.
Defensively, Smith turned in one of the team's strongest individual tournament performances, collecting 58 digs, averaging 5.27 per set. The libero recorded at least 13 digs in every match, including back-to-back performances of 22 and 23 digs on Saturday.
White provided consistent contributions on both sides of the ball, finishing with 25 kills, 26 digs and five service aces. Her double-double against Tuskegee was one of the team's top all-around performances of the weekend.
Duncan also made her presence felt at the net, finishing with nine total blocks across the tournament, including her seven-block performance against Miles.
Up Next: Bethel University
The Magicians will look to regroup as they return to non-conference action on Tuesday, October 20, at 6:00 p.m., traveling to McKenzie, Tennessee, to face Bethel University.
LeMoyne Owen will look to build on its competitive stretches from the Miles Crossover as the team continues its 2026 campaign.
