Sierra Magennis ’28

by Sierra Magennis ’28 on October 1, 2026

Athlete of the week: Miller McDonald reaches 2,000 assists and counting. The Providence College women’s volleyball team looks like it has a lot of potential this year. With a current 8–3 record, the team is strong and is led by its powerful players. Most notably among them this week is Miller McDonald ’27. In their tough loss against Harvard this past weekend, McDonald reached her 2,000th assist, leading the team and program since 2021. For those who do not follow volleyball, the setter is the player who delivers the ball to their hitters, acting as a quarterback leading their team. They read the defense across the net and give the ball to the hitter who can turn the play into a point for the team. McDonald has started in nearly every game at Providence College and has led her team each year in assists, with her most coming during her sophomore season, when she totaled 686 assists. Even though excellence in volleyball is often seen through the big power hitters dealing points, this week’s athlete has the toughest job: making all her other teammates look their best, and she has the stats to prove her skill. This lefty setter also works incredibly hard on the defensive and service end of the game. She had totaled 697 digs across her four years, averaging 1.97 digs per set, along with 20 block assists. McDonald also leads her team in service aces this year, tallying 20 aces for the Friars. McDonald attended Lake Highlands High School in Dallas, Texas, and played for the club team “Madfrog,” a recruiting hot spot for the PC volleyball program. McDonald has played alongside club teammates in high school and college, including Shea Dupuis ’27, Lyric Berry ’27, and Macy Taylor ’27 who all came out of the same club. Playing alongside each other for so many years, these athletes have built strong friendships that have translated to better chemistry on the court. Even though the team fell short during their game against Harvard on Friday, Sept. 18, they gave them a difficult challenge. The Friars managed to climb out of an 18–14 deficit in the first set, tying at 21–21, but eventually fell short, with an ending score of 25–21. The Crimson won with the same score during the second set, but Providence was not backing down. They fought hard and did not give up an easy win, ending the set with six ties and several lead changes. The third set ended with a loss, Harvard winning by two, with a score of 29–27. This game may count as a loss on the stat sheet, but setter McDonald did not leave Cambridge with her spirits down. She had a total of 20 assists, surpassing the milestone. Now having 2,014 assists in her career, McDonald will continue to lead her team with redshirt Sarah Musial ’29 in their 6–2 offense this season. Even though this game did not go their way, McDonald’s achievements are still worth celebrating. Her team still has not competed against any other schools in the Big East conference, but their first challenge will be at home against DePaul on Friday, Sept. 25, at 5 p.m.