Penn State Triumphs Over Louisville in NCAA Women’s Volleyball Final
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In a thrilling showdown at the KFC Yum Center, the Louisville Cardinals, buoyed by their hometown crowd, managed to capture the most emotionally charged set of Sunday’s NCAA women’s volleyball final. However, it was the Penn State Nittany Lions who ultimately emerged victorious, clinching the program’s eighth national championship by winning three out of the four sets.
The spotlight shone brightly on Penn State’s Katie Schumacher-Cawley, who has been an emblem of resilience and determination. Diagnosed with breast cancer in September, Schumacher-Cawley has remained steadfast with her team throughout the season. Her triumph in this championship marks a historic moment as she becomes the first woman head coach to win the national championship since the NCAA tournament’s inception in 1981.
“I’m inspired by the young kids that are sick,” Schumacher-Cawley shared, reflecting on the children battling cancer whom she encounters. “If I can be an inspiration, then I take that. But I feel good. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by so many great people.”
Schumacher-Cawley, who played for and later assisted the legendary Russ Rose, has somewhat downplayed her milestone achievement. Rose, who retired after the 2021 season, led the Nittany Lions to their previous seven NCAA titles. Yet, this victory is undeniably a significant milestone for the sport.
Interestingly, this final was destined to be historic, as both teams were led by women coaches. Louisville’s Dani Busboom Kelly, who also boasts an NCAA title as a player with Nebraska in 2006, expressed her happiness for Schumacher-Cawley. “I’m very happy for Katie, and it’s a big deal for this sport,” Busboom Kelly said. “I’m thankful … that we can move on and that more women will be in this position in the future.”
The tournament saw all four No. 1 seeds advance to the final four, marking the fourth occurrence of this since seeding began in 1993. While Pitt and Nebraska were widely considered favorites for the championship match, Louisville and Penn State defied expectations. Louisville overcame ACC rival Pitt 3-1, and Penn State staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Big Ten rival Nebraska 3-2 in the semifinals.
Sunday’s final attracted a sellout crowd of 21,860, setting a new volleyball championship record. The Cardinals, playing for the title for the second time in their history, faced a significant challenge without senior outside hitter Anna DeBeer. DeBeer, a Louisville native, suffered an ankle injury in the semifinals, leaving a void in the team’s lineup.
DeBeer led the Cardinals in kills per set and points per set this season, and her absence was keenly felt. Meanwhile, Penn State’s senior Jess Mruzik delivered an outstanding performance, recording 29 kills and earning the tournament’s most outstanding player accolade.
“I think what really clicked was when all my teammates started looking at me saying, ‘I have your back, swing away, let it rip,'” Mruzik said. “That just allowed me to play free. The standard at Penn State is winning national championships. So this is like a dream come true.”
The match began with a closely contested first set, which Penn State won 25-23. The Nittany Lions appeared poised to take a 2-0 lead, holding a 24-19 advantage in the second set. However, the Cardinals mounted a remarkable comeback, saving 10 set points to win 34-32. This set featured the most combined points ever in an NCAA tournament set since the introduction of rally scoring in 2001.
Despite the Cardinals’ valiant effort, Penn State regrouped to win the next two sets, 25-20 and 25-17, securing the championship. “It was incredible,” Busboom Kelly remarked about the second-set rally. “I thought it gave us momentum, but unfortunately that didn’t show on the scoreboard.”
Penn State’s composure remained intact, even after letting numerous set points slip away. The Nittany Lions had exhausted their allowable number of substitutions late in the set, forcing players into unfamiliar positions. “After that second set, in the locker room the vibes were pretty good,” Mruzik said. “We were just laughing about what had just happened. We knew that we still had more left in the tank for the next two sets.”
- Charitie Luper led the Cardinals with 21 kills.
- Busboom Kelly was emotional discussing DeBeer, who missed her final college match due to injury.
- The national championship match was broadcast on ABC for the second consecutive year.
“I think it just shows people want to watch volleyball, they want to watch women’s sports,” Busboom Kelly said. “When you watch, it’s not just that they’re athletes. I think you can see the joy and the personalities and the way they play that makes our sport so much fun.”
This final marked only the second time an ACC team reached the championship match, with Louisville first achieving this feat in 2022. Stanford, with its record nine NCAA titles, joined the ACC this year, but the conference still awaits its breakthrough victory.
For Penn State, this victory ended a decade-long wait for their eighth title, with their last win in 2014 over BYU. The Nittany Lions’ journey to the championship was marked by resilience, rallying from a 2-0 deficit against Nebraska in the semifinals and overcoming the Cardinals in their hometown in the final. Penn State middle blocker Taylor Trammell credited the team’s resolve, while teammate Camryn Hannah praised Schumacher-Cawley’s guidance.
“As a woman in general, you’re always told you have to put all yourself into one thing,” Hannah said. “You have to be a mom and give 100% to that. You have to be a volleyball player. Katie teaches us that you can give 100% in every situation, but there are different times for everything.”
Mruzik added, “The biggest thing I am taking away from this season is you can do anything you set your mind to. I think with [Schumacher-Cawley] doing everything she’s doing, that helped us as a group also believe we were capable of this.”
Originally Written by: Michael Voepel
