Penn State won its eighth national championship and first in a decade after defeating Louisville Volleyball in a four-set showdown at the KFC Yum! Center. Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley made history as the first woman to lead a team to the NCAA volleyball title. The Nittany Lions finished the season 35-2, defeating the Cardinals 25-23, 32-34, 25-20, and 25-17. Oh, and also, their wild ride to the Final Four included a reverse sweep against Big Ten rival Nebraska in the semis.

In front of a home record of 21,860 fans and a total of over 43,000 fans over two days, it was a game that would not be forgotten. It was a very emotional game for the Nittany Lions, and it was their leading players who brought it home. Now, one of those stars—none other than Caroline Jurevicius—had her NFL legend father, Joe Jurevicius, reveal the tough love that fueled her path to an NCAA volleyball championship.

In a recent video shared by NCAA Women’s Volleyball on X, Joe Jurevicius hopped into a chat, and when asked about Caroline Jurevicius’ fiery competitiveness, he had a funny but heartfelt response. He said, “When I didn’t feed her. When she messed up, I didn’t give her dinner, but I wanted to make her tough.” But of course, he laughed it off, adding, “No, she had to live with me, and again, both of my girls, they don’t understand it back then, but I love them so much. I’m a girl dad. I take 100 of them” He went on to say, “That’s why every dad that’s out here with the daughter on his court, I love them all, man. I appreciate the sport of women’s volleyball, but yeah, I got after my girls.” Clearly, Joe’s got a big heart for the game and his girls!

On one side, you have Caroline Jurevicius from the winning team of NCAA volleyball, who has been such a game-changer. When she transferred from Nebraska, she immediately emerged as the team’s playmaker, providing the type of scoring and shooting that brings teams back from the dead. However, the story was not just created on college courts. Back in Ohio at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin High School, Caroline was a force to reckon with; she had 4.9 kills per set and a .360 hitting percentage in her senior year.

Caroline also posted 224 digs, 44 blocks, and 41 aces and helped her team win the Ohio Division II state championship in 2022 and earned Ohio DII Player of the Year. Oh, and let’s not forget, she represented Team USA at the 2021 FIVB U18 World Championships and came back with the bronze medal. Then, there’s her father, Joe Jurevicius, who is a bona fide legend in his own right. The ex-NFL wide receiver who lived up to the buzzword of a clutch player and sheer determination played in the NFL for 11 years and won the Super Bowl for Tampa Bay in the year 2002.

Joe’s NFL career involved achieving more than 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns in receptions, but his greatness dates back to college football at Penn State University. He also performed exceptionally well there, catching 94 passes for 1,894 more yards and 15 touchdowns for the Nittany Lions football team. Despite Caroline’s stellar stats and unstoppable game, her dad, Joe, couldn’t help but feel the nerves kicking in during the NCAA volleyball finals, as he later revealed!

NCAA volleyball brings in the heat for the Jurevicius family!

Caroline Jurevicius has become the hero of this season’s NCAA volleyball championships. She would shine in the tense moments where all the pressure is on and against some of the biggest personalities in sports. The Nebraska Huskers, the heavily favored squad, felt the brunt of her power not once but twice this season.

In the semifinal match-up, Caroline unleashed over 20 kills, burying the Huskers, while in the Big Ten season, she produced 18 more that left no one in doubt. In both cases, her Nittany Lions overwhelmed the Huskers. And while Caroline’s heroics lit up the court, her dad was battling a different kind of game—one filled with nerves and anticipation!

Joe Jurevicius, watching from the sidelines, had his fair share of tension as the final match against Louisville unfolded. Speaking with Michella Chester of NCAA Digital during the game, he said, “The nerves are up high,” when asked about his state. But if there’s one thing Caroline knows, it’s how to handle the Cardinals.

Earlier on the 3rd of September, she and senior star Jess Mruzik gave Louisville a run for their money and put in a display that saw them score 24 kills that stunned the Cardinals. And now that Penn State has locked up the NCAA volleyball title, it’s time to give up all the suspense for sheer delight!