COLUMBIA, S.C. – Benedict College head women's volleyball coach Gwendolyn Rouse has announced the signing of five newcomers for the 2026 season.
 
Joining the Lady Tigers are four freshmen and one transfer. She added a pair of outside hitters, two defensive specialists and one setter.
 
New faces for the Lady Tigers are:

• Jayden Johnson, a junior setter from Columbia, S.C. Johnson is transferring from Converse College, where she saw action in 11 matches with two starts. She recorded 140 assists, with a season-high 21 assists against King. As a freshman in 2024, she played in 33 matches with four starts. She finished the season with 458 assists, 204 digs, 36 service aces, 10 kills, and had seven double-doubles. She recorded a season-high 27 assists against North Greenville. A former standout at Cardinal Newman High School, where she helped the team to a pair of state championships and surpassed 1,000 career assists. She competed in club volleyball for SC Midlands and Armor Volleyball Club. Off the court, she served as Vice President of the Black Student Union, demonstrating leadership both in athletics and within the school community.
   
• Kelsey Joshua, a freshman defensive specialist / Libero from Oakleaf High School in Orange Park, Fla. Throughout her varsity career, Kelsey appeared in 152 sets, recording 548 career digs, 580 receptions, 20 assists, and 3.6 digs per set. During her senior season, she tallied 215 digs, 420 receptions, and 16 service aces, finishing in the top seven in Florida 6A District 2 for digs. Kelsey was known as a dependable defensive leader and was featured by MaxPreps after leading Oakleaf to a comeback victory with a season-high 21 digs.
   
• Moriah Smith, a freshman defensive specialist / Libero from Pickering Central High School in Pickerington, Ohio. At Pickerington Central, she helped her team to a pair of OCC championships, two District championships, as well as two Wayne Rollers Invitational championships. She was voted team captain as a senior, and has already completed the Dental Assistant Program at Fairfield Career Center and earned a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) license.
   
• Kennedy Thompson, a freshman outside hitter and defensive specialist from Baldwin High School in Baldwin, N.Y. During her senior season, she ranked among Nassau County's leaders in kills. Her performance earned her both All-County and All-Conference honors.
   
• Baileigh Tillmon, a freshman outside hitter from Plainfield High School in Plainfield, N.Y., where she also competed for Club 1 Volleyball. During her career, she was a member of the U14 AAU  National Champions, U15 AAU  National runners-up, and a third-place finish at the U16 AAU National Championship. She was Plainfield North's Freshman team MVP, led her JV team in kills, and was MVP of the 2024 Summer Time Splash Tournament.

 Benedict is coming off an 18-10 season in 2025. The 2026 season opens on Sept. 4-5 at the Black Excellence Volleyball Classic in Albany, Ga. The home opener is Sept. 15 against Livingstone College at 6 p.m.