Penn State women’s volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley made history on Sunday night, three months after being diagnosed with stage II breast cancer.
Schumacher-Cawley, 44, became the first woman head coach to win the national championship since the NCAA tournament began in 1981, when her Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the University of Louisville Cardinals on Sunday, December 22.
“There have been so many that have been before me that have paved the way for me,” Schumacher-Cawley told ESPN after the win, Penn State’s eighth national championship in history. “I’m so grateful and hopefully there will be more in the future that want to coach and be a part of it.”
After leaving the court, Schumacher-Cawley gushed about the support she has been shown by her Penn State family in the midst of her cancer battle.
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“I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by so many great people from this team to the staff I have,” Schumacher-Cawley told reporters. “I’m just really lucky to have great people around me that go above and beyond.”
Schumacher-Cawley also gave a nod to younger cancer patients, who she routinely crosses paths with on her own journey.
“I am inspired by the young kids that are sick,” she added. “I’m doing treatment at UPenn and every time I walk into the hospital, I walk right past the children’s hospital. Sure, if I can be an inspiration to someone. then I take that. But I feel good and I’m lucky to have the people around me. I think that’s why we’re successful.”
Schumacher-Cawley, a former volleyball player at Penn State who took over as head coach in January 2022, announced she had been diagnosed with cancer in October.
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“This news has been a lot to process, and as you can imagine, it has brought a range of emotions,” she shared via Instagram. “But I’m approaching this with strength, determination, and an unwavering sense of hope. We will draw inspiration from the many people in our lives that have battled cancer and have emerged victorious.”
She added, “I know this journey will have its challenges, but I also know that with the care and strength of those around me, I am ready to meet it head-on. I also want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the women and men who have gone through this before me. The strength, courage, and determination you’ve shown have not only been inspiring, but you have also helped advance the incredible progress we see in medicine today. Your journeys have paved the way for better treatments and outcomes, and I’m deeply grateful for that.”
Schumacher-Cawley only missed a few practices while jugging her diagnosis and her on-court responsibilities — which didn’t go unnoticed by her players.
“Even if she’s not feeling well, you would literally never be able to tell,” outside hitter Jess Mruzik told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a story published Thursday, December 19. “She’s always herself and she’s always just fun.”
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