Penn State is once again back at the helm of women’s volleyball. Facing off against the dominant Louisville in the finals, Penn State came up with a gritty display to snatch the victory. This was a significant moment for the Penn State girls as Louisville had been rooted to the top spot for a fairly long time. Visiting the KFC Yum! Arena in Louisville, the Nittany Lions shut the home crowd to be crowned the champions. 

In a four-set thriller on Sunday, the Nittany Lions did not have much problem winning all four sets. After the end of all four sets, the scorecard read, 25-23, 32-34, 25-20, 25-17. Apart from the joy of becoming the NCAA champion, the victory tasted much sweeter for so many more reasons. One of the key points to keep in mind is that their head coach, Katie Schumacher-Cawley, is the first female HC to ever win an NCAA championship. While Camryn Hannah’s kill straight down the middle sealed the deal for the Lions, there was Jess Mruzik’s heroics, without which the victory would have been impossible. Interestingly, Mruzik dedicated her success to her teammates, who helped her in a major way during her struggles. 

Speaking in the post-game presser, Mruzik was asked about her mentality going into the game. The Nittany Lions’ star immediately seized the opportunity to thank her teammates for helping her out when things were gloomy. “Yeah, I mean, it certainly wouldn’t be possible without every single person around me, and I struggled a little bit just to find my groove at the beginning, but I was getting a ton of good information off the bench from my teammates and a ton of good information from the other girls on the court.” And that was not all. She also reflected on how her teammates’ support made her grow in confidence and deliver a championship-winning performance. 

Mruzik stated, “I think what really clicked was when all my teammates started looking at me saying, like, I have your back, swing away, let it rip and that just allowed me to play free, but I definitely wouldn’t be able to do it without every single person around me.” Surely, Mruzik had one of the most dominant performances of the finals. Displaying impeccable skills, the Nittany Lions’ star chipped in with a whopping 29 kills! 

And if this was not enough, Mruzik also notched up a .315 clip along with 14 digs. Surely, these are some impressive numbers. Adding to the Cardinals’ woes, Camryn Hannah too chipped in with 19 kills, while Jurevicius contributed with 10. Izzy Starck, on the other hand, also played a vital role, as she had 13 digs and 55 assists to her name. Meanwhile, back to Jess Mruzik, this is not the first time she has led the Nittany Lions to victory. In their game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the semis, she dominated the proceedings and also pulled out a magical reverse sweep.

Jess Mruzik led Penn State to a victorious feat with a magical reverse sweep

Penn State Women’s Volleyball has once again proven its championship mettle. And this time they did it with the power and caliber of their star player, Jess Mruzik. Delivering a breathtaking reverse-sweep comeback against No. 3 Nebraska, the Nittany Lions secured a spot in the NCAA Championship match. The Penn State girls’ 3-2 victory (23-25, 18-25, 25-23, 28-26, 15-13) on Thursday night at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center was so much more than just a semifinal win. They just added a page to their storied history and legacy. With over 21,700 fans in attendance, the clash etched itself into NCAA Tournament lore as one of the most thrilling volleyball matches in recent memory.

At the heart of this electrifying comeback was the senior player of the Nittany Lions, Jess Mruzik. Mruzik skillfully delivered a masterclass in this match. The fifth-year standout ignited Penn State’s offense over the final three sets, finishing with a match-high 26 kills on .300 hitting, complemented by 12 digs for her 13th double-double of the season. Moreover, in the decisive fifth set, Mruzik turned out to be an unstoppable force. By hammering six kills on eight swings, Mruzik helped her team push past the finish line. And with this, she achieved a career milestone, recording her 2,000th collegiate kill.

While Mruzik stole the show late, redshirt freshman Caroline Jurevicius was equally vital to the victory. Following her career-best performance against Nebraska earlier this season, Jurevicius delivered another outstanding performance, attaining 20 kills and four blocks to maintain pressure on the Huskers. Together, Mruzik and Jurevicius improved Penn State’s resilience, overcoming the threat of elimination to maintain their championship aspirations.

With this win, they secured their 11th appearance in a national title match, placing the Nittany Lions on the brink of history. And finally, on Sunday, December 22, the Penn State girls completed their Cinderella run and claimed their NCAA title after a long wait since 2014.