The Associated Press, Gary B. Graves
Louisville, Kentucky. Katie Schumacher-Cawley grinned broadly as she celebrated her milestone, embracing players and fans covered in confetti before raising the championship trophy that distinguishes her from other volleyball coaches.
The Nittany Lions made sure she got everything, save for one moment of distraction.
In Sunday’s final, Penn State defeated Louisville 3-1, and Schumacher-Cawley became the first female coach to win an NCAA volleyball championship. Jess Mruzik recorded 29 kills with a hitting % of.315.
Under the third-year coach, who has guided the team while undergoing treatment for breast cancer that was discovered in September, the Nittany Lions (35-2) won their first national championship since 2014 and their eighth overall. Nevertheless, Schumacher-Cawley has practiced in between treatments, a resolute and emotional trip that gave players a focal point and attracted a lot of support.
With aggressive play that put Louisville (30-6) on the defense, Penn State accomplished its goal and won 25-23, 32-34, 25-20, and 25-17. After the Cardinals overcame multiple deficits and fought off nine Nittany Lion set points to win an epic second set 34-32, the Nittany Lions’ third-set rebound was particularly crucial.
The Cardinals looked rejuvenated, while the Nittany Lions, who had to overcome their 0–2 deficit to Nebraska on Thursday in order to get to the finals, were forced to reflect on what had happened and go on.
Camryn Hannah, an outside hitter for Penn State, stated, “It’s nothing new for us because we’ve lost the second set a number of times.” We all discussed the necessity of moving on. A brand-new game was played in the following set.
Especially in the latter two sets, Schumacher-Cawley watched from the sidelines as players made critical digs, blocked at the net, and converted kills. Coaches greeted each other beneath a shower of snowflake-shaped confetti, some of them making angels, as players piled up on the court after the result was decided.
Many congratulations to Schumacher-Cawley as well.
She remarked, “I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by so many great people, from this team to the staff,” alluding to the motivation she received while receiving treatment at a local children’s hospital.
I simply consider myself extremely fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful people who go above and beyond. Yes, I am willing to take it if I can inspire someone. I am fortunate to have friends around me, though, and I feel wonderful. And I believe that’s what made us successful.
An NCAA indoor record 21,860 spectators, most of them wearing Cardinals red, cheered on.
Caroline Jurevicius had 10 kills and Hannah contributed 19 kills with two blocks as the Nittany Lions won their ninth consecutive title game appearance. But Mruzik set the example by being there when she was needed, completing the task, and ensuring that others followed suit.
Mruzik, who recorded 55 kills this weekend and was awarded the most outstanding player, admitted that he first had some trouble finding his rhythm. However, I was receiving a lot of useful information from the other females on the court as well as from my teammates off the bench.
The fact that all of my teammates were staring at me and telling me, “I have your back, let it rip,” was what truly clicked. And I was able to play freely as a result.
Katie Schumacher-Cawley, the new women’s volleyball coach at Penn State, is introduced by Sandy Barbour, vice president of intercollegiate athletics, at Rec Hall on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. ([email protected] | Daniel Gallen)
Without All-American hitter Anna DeBeer, Louisville’s Charitie Luper recorded 21 kills and Sofia Maldonado Diaz 20. The Louisville native did not take part in pregame warmups after suffering a right ankle injury during Thursday’s semifinal matchup with Pittsburgh.
With Schumacher-Cawley taking on Louisville coaching rival Dani Busboom Kelly, Sunday’s championship was already historic and guaranteed a female coach’s first national triumph after 42 titles won by male coaches. Busboom With the Cardinals, Kelly was making her second trip to the championships in three seasons.
Busboom Kelly complimented Schumacher-Cawley and remarked, “Congratulations to Penn State, they played fantastic today and we couldn’t stop them.” I thought we would never be able to catch up.
As athletes, both coaches had already won championships. Busboom Kelly assisted Nebraska in winning the 2006 championship, while Schumacher-Cawley assisted Penn State in winning their first championship in 1999.
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