On Sunday, Katie Schumacher-Cawley entered history. The former All-American had experience winning the NCAA Division I volleyball championships beforehand. But in 1999, she claimed it as the player of the Penn State volleyball program. On Sunday, she claimed it as a coach. Her mentees overpowered the Louisville Cardinals on the latter’s home turf in a sold-out arena. Furthermore, it was a 3-1 result where the Cardinals tried their best to make an entry into the game. But Katie’s trainees didn’t allow them any space to spread their legs. Rather, they tightened their grip over the match in retaliation. How did such a firm mindset come? 

After all, on Sunday, Penn State had to fight with data as well. How? After 2014, the blue and white jersey didn’t have much noteworthy achievement in the NCAA Contest. But their opponents had made it to the final in 2022 as well. Their consistency in the higher leagues has become a prime example for others. Then how did the Nittany Lions pull off the miracle? Any mother sauce behind the success? 

No, just a few lessons! Per the coach, Katie Schumacher-Cawley, the team earned the harshest lessons in the regular season. Those lessons opened their eyes ultimately. In the post-game press conference, the coach said, “I thought the Pitt match was an eye-opener for everyone involved, and you know we went back to work after that loss and just got better.” But folks, do you remember what happened in the match between the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Penn State Nittany Lions? 

It was on September 18, in the regular season. The Nittany Lions had been on the fast lane, winning six matches in a row. They carried the momentum to Pittsburgh to compete in the away game against the Panthers. Little did they know what was waiting for them! On that Wednesday night, the Panthers dominated the Nittany Lions. In the 11,800-crowded arena, they handed Katie’s team a clean sweep. In the game, nothing went as planned. Penn State had to hit rock bottom in each of the categories. They had low kills, digs, aces, blocks, assists, and whatnot. Even the star outside hitter Jess Mruzik couldn’t extend her claws in the game. 

With other Nittany Lions like Camryn Hannah, Jess Mruzik also had to leave the arena with a long face. Mruzik had only 7 kills beside her name. Hannah had a slightly better score, 11. Nonetheless, the game sent an alert signal to the coaching group of Nittany Lions volleyball. They had to think outside of the box. In the end, they surely did. But what was the key learning factor in that game? Katie Schumacher-Cawley explained in the press conference. 

Penn State volleyball team embraces the lessons

Despite facing a heartbreaking defeat from the Pittsburgh Panthers in the initial season, Penn State’s coach wasn’t ready to lose her calmness. Rather, she decided to ponder the issues. But before that, she was ready to give the Panthers their flowers. In the post-final press meet, the veteran revealed what she faced in those hours three months ago. She said, “Pitt was an exceptional team all year long, and yeah, they put it to us in that match, but for us, I thought it was a great learning experience for a lot of the younger players who haven’t played in an atmosphere like that, and you know we learned from it.” So for the juniors of the program, the high-octane situation brought a few lessons. They learned to handle such adversities. Did it pay off nicely? 

Certainly, the Penn State Nittany Lions are the top team now in the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship. Moreover, Katie explained how the team explored the learnings. “I think it got us ready for Big Ten season, and you know, I think we kind of really took off from there,” she said. In the next months, Penn State had to face only one loss (to the Wisconsin Badgers on the road). But on the way, they defeated teams like the Nebraska Huskers. In the sole match against the Huskers, the youngsters of the Nittany Lions held their nerves and handed the opponent their only loss in the Big Ten Conference in the regular season. Katie, reminiscing over those results, stated, “We didn’t talk about winning a lot; we talked about getting better as a team and that we knew if we got better as the conference went on, we can do something special.” And now, the lessons helped the Nittany Lions claim the top volleyball prize in the nation.