Meet the Spoons: AU's Layne Witherspoon comes from a sports-minded family

By Rodrigo Burgos Avila | Editor in chief

When Augusta University outside hitter Layne Witherspoon stepped onto the court this season, she carried far more than her own ambitions. She carried a family legacy—one rooted not simply in athletic achievement, but in a culture of uncompromising standards.

That mindset defined her breakout campaign, where she was named to the all-Peach Belt Conference first team after establishing herself as one of the most productive hitters in the league. She ranked fourth in the conference in hitting percentage at .292, finished fifth in kills with 336 (2.75 per set) and added 419 points to finish sixth overall.

Witherspoon leads the Jaguars (25-8) into the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional against Anderson University on Thursday, Nov. 4, in Wingate, N.C. First serve is at 11 a.m.

It was the culmination of a season in which she consistently echoed a message she and her teammates embraced: “We know how to play volleyball.”

For Layne, that confidence comes from years of structure, expectation and quiet support at home. As the oldest of three sisters, she grew up under what she calls “high standards,” though not exclusively in sports. Excellence was expected in every aspect of her life, and her parents made sure she understood that early.

They also understood the dangers of burnout. Her mother, Rebecca Witherspoon, was intentionally quiet during games—not out of detachment, but out of trust. To this day, Rebecca barely speaks from the stands, letting Layne control her own game. Her father, former NFL and University of Georgia linebacker Will Witherspoon, shares the same philosophy.

Both parents, she says, always recognized that volleyball was hers. They trusted her instincts. They trusted her discipline. And they trusted that she knew how to play her sport.

“I think a huge part of it comes from being the oldest,” Layne said. “Growing up, the standard wasn’t just for athletics—it was for everything.”

Ironically, she did not want to play sports at first. Her parents put her in softball, which she laughs about now, admitting she hated it. But when she tried volleyball, everything changed. She fell in love with it instantly, and the intensity she applies to every responsibility in life translated seamlessly to the court. She ran track in high school as well, competing in triple jump, long jump, high jump and eventually the 4x100 relay. Her coaches recognized the physical toll of balancing two demanding sports, so she focused her training, eventually qualifying for state in the 300 hurdles her senior year.

Still, volleyball remained her anchor.

Her family’s athletic DNA is undeniable. Her father Will played for the Bulldogs from 1998 to 2001 before embarking on an 11-year NFL career with the Carolina Panthers (Layne was born in Charlotte), St. Louis Rams, Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans. He finished his professional career with 951 tackles, 26 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, and 14 interceptions, including three defensive touchdowns. Her mother Rebecca was a volleyball standout at UGa. Her middle sister, Maya, now plays at Vanderbilt, where she quickly made an impact as a 5-foot-11 outside hitter, finishing her freshman season with 109 kills, 30 service aces and 87 digs.

The youngest, Shaye, may be the most eye-catching talent of them all. A 6-3 outside hitter in the class of 2027, she has already committed to Nebraska—the current No. 1 volleyball program in the nation in NCAA D1. She averaged 4.4 kills per set with a blistering .379 hitting percentage as a sophomore, leading Lafayette Wildwood High School to its second straight Class 5 state championship.

When asked about her youngest sister, Layne smiles knowingly.

“Shaye is completely different,” she said. “An anomaly.”

Sports weren’t their only shared activity growing up. All three sisters, along with Rebecca, once did gymnastics until they quite literally outgrew it.

“Maya got better than me and then I stopped, and she stopped,” Layne joked.

Shaye eventually left the sport too, as height made certain skills impossible. But those early years forged fierce competition in the house.

Sibling rivalry burned strongest between Layne and Maya. It was competitive, never hostile, and eventually faded once both entered high school. Still, the memories are sharp. Layne recalls one club match where Maya, then a developing outside hitter, struggled to hit the line. Layne told her teammates to force her there defensively.

“She would get so mad,” Layne said. “But it wasn’t me being mean. It was just a competitive thing.”

Outside sports, the Witherspoon household placed strong boundaries on social media. Layne did not get Snapchat until eighth grade, and her parents rarely posted online themselves.

“My parents have never had that big of an online presence,” she said.

The restrictions, she now believes, gave her room to breathe and room to grow.

That upbringing—disciplined, supportive, demanding—shaped who she is today. It is why she holds herself accountable. Why she pushes harder than the people around her. Why she is relentless in helping her team wherever she can.

Those traits are not simply learned; they are inherited. Passed down, reinforced and modeled by a family that has lived the demands of elite sport. And now, as Layne continues carving out her own identity at Augusta University, she stands not just as another Witherspoon athlete, but as the latest standard-bearer for a family built on excellence.

This all-conference season made that clear.

And she is just getting started.

 Contact Rodrigo Burgos Avila at rburgosavila@augusta.edu.

Layne Witherspoon, with the kill here, earned all-conference first-team honors for the 25-8 Jaguars, who open play in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regionals against Anderson University on Thursday, Dec. 4. At the top of the page, Witherspoon (20) has been a dependable attacker in the middle of the net and on the slide, totaling a team-best 336 kills through PBC Tournament play. Teammate Sydney Harrington (13) watches Witherspoon’s attack. (photos by Lydia Williams/the Bell Ringer)

Witherspoon (20) is a force to reckon with at that net. Here she goes on the attack against Lander as teammate Giulia Rodrigues prepares to defend. (photo by Lydia Williams/the Bell Ringer)

Harrington (13) sets Witherspoon (20) up for the kill in a Peach Belt Conference match against rival Lander. (photo by Lydia Williams/the Bell Ringer)