Penn State Volleyball has made it to the 2024 NCAA Championship finals. The last time the Nittany Lions made it to the finals (and won) was a decade ago, in 2014. And while taking your team to the national championship final within three years of joining as head coach is a massive achievement, Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley did it while battling cancer.

While 2024 started like any other regular off-season, Schumacher-Cawley’s health took a downturn. The doctor and hospital visits continued until September when the Penn State coach learned that she had Stage 2 breast cancer. Yet despite the grim diagnosis and ensuing treatment, the 44-year-old refused to compromise her duties toward the Nittany Lions.

How the Inspirational Volleyball Coach Finds Her Inspiration

In an interview with ESPNW, the coach opened up on how her love for volleyball and the team has given her the strength to go on. “I feel normal here at Rec Hall and I just want to keep going. I feel so loved, and I’m so lucky to have the staff I have,” said the 44-year-old. However, Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s source of inspiration thought this ordeal came from an unlikely place.

While dealing with the cancer diagnosis wasn’t easy, it is the people who are fighting the disease that have inspired the coach. “People talk about inspiration and things like that. I’ll tell you — there’s babies and younger kids that are really sick, that’s my perspective,” the Nittany Lions coach told ESPN. While managing everything has been a challenge, the coach hasn’t faltered.

Penn State middle blocker Taylor Trammell revealed that despite her battle with cancer, Katie Schumacher-Cawley hasn’t missed a beat. “She still comes into that gym every day with the same fire and intensity,” explained that player. The former Penn State volleyball player who won the national title in 1999 has proven it true time and again.

When the Nittany Lions struggled to secure a set against Nebraska in the semifinals, it was the 44-year-old who got them back on track. Her inspiring words helped the Lions turn the tables on NU, going from 2-0 to win the match with a reverse sweep. However, the assistant-turned-head coach’s biggest achievement may be just around the corner.

Katie Schumacher Cawley’s most challenging year could be her most historic

Coach Katie has lived by the motto ‘Bigger than us’ throughout this whole season. One of the core values of her team, the 44-year-old has become the living embodiment of this motto, putting aside her struggle, no matter how great, for the team. It’s this dedication that’s helped the volleyball coach become the first female head coach to lead the BIG conference team to an NCAA final.

And yet that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as the 2024 BIG10 championship-winning coach is part of the all-female-led final. For the first time in NCAA history, both finalists have women as head coaches. So, after all her struggles, Katie Schumacher-Cawley has a chance to make national volleyball history by becoming the first female head coach to win the NCAA Championship title.

If the Nittany Lions succeed, Schumacher-Cawley will join the elite club of coaches who have won the conference and the national title in the same season. Doing so while fighting cancer would only elevate that achievement further. However, regardless of the outcome of the finals, it’s impossible to deny the impact she’s already had.

After all, it’s not every day that icons of a different sport acknowledge your achievements. “Dani Busboom-Kelly @louisvillevb Katie Schumacher-Cawley @pennstatevball you make us all proud!” said WNBA coach Dawn Staley about the Penn State and Louisville coaches on the cusp of making history in not just volleyball but all of women’s sports.