Led by head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, the Penn State Volleyball team soared to its first national championship since 2014 last season. Schumacher-Cawley’s journey is especially moving: she became the first female head coach to win an NCAA Division I women’s volleyball national title while bravely fighting breast cancer, a testament to her unwavering commitment to the sport.
The Penn State Volleyball team also clinched a share of the Big Ten Conference title last season, powered by standout performances from stars like Jess Mruzik, Camryn Hannah, and Gillian Grimes, who dazzled fans throughout the year.
How Penn State Volleyball Helped Schumacher-Cawley Process Cancer Diagnosis
Schumacher-Cawley shares a strong relationship with the Nittany Lions that dates back to 1998, when she joined them as a freshman to begin her playing career. She played a key role in the team’s 1999 NCAA Championship win, which marked the program’s first-ever national title, earning her a place in history as one of their standout players.
Schumacher-Cawley was appointed head coach of the Penn State Volleyball team in 2022 and commands massive respect and admiration from her players. After she publicly announced her diagnosis in October 2024, outside hitter Caroline Jurevicius spoke about how strong her coach was during this difficult period:
“The radiation, the chemo, the just sickness but coming in every single day without fail and giving her all. She never complained about it,” she said, as per ESPN.
Schumacher-Cawley also spoke about how she managed to get through coaching the team’s training sessions and more, saying:
“Just the adrenaline of [being at the games], that was the best part of my day. It took almost the thought of me being sick away.”
After guiding her team to a championship, Schumacher-Cawley received the 2025 Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYs, earning national acclaim for her remarkable resilience. In February, she shared the uplifting news that she is now officially cancer-free.
Schumacher-Cawley Sounds Off on Penn State Volleyball’s 2025 NCAA Championships Exit
This year’s NCAA tournament took a different turn for Penn State, as the team fell to the Texas Longhorns in the second round on Saturday, March 15. Despite a valiant effort from junior outside hitter Kennedy Martin, who tallied 16 kills, and Caroline Jurevicius, who added 7, the Nittany Lions’ journey ended sooner than hoped.
Schumacher-Cawley took to Instagram to share a message after the team’s loss, saying that the season didn’t end the way the team had “hoped.” However, she added a more positive note, stating that they “will learn from this” and come back stronger from this moment.
Penn State reached the second round after a 3-1 win over South Florida, finishing the season with a 19-13 record. The program remains a powerhouse, boasting the second-most NCAA titles in history, just behind Stanford’s nine.
