Coach Katie: a champion, a leader, and a symbol of hope.

Throughout your life, you get the chance to witness special people. This may be because of their great accomplishments in their field or because of how they are as a person to the people around them. Penn State head women’s volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley checks all of the boxes.

Schumacher-Cawley was an All-American with Penn State under Russ Rose and helped win the first national title in program history in 1999. Being such a big factor in the team and program, she was chosen to be Rose’s successor in 2022.

In only her third season as the head coach for Penn State, Schumacher-Cawley won the national title for the first time since 2014. This path to the title though was unlike anything we’ve seen before.

In mid-October when Schumacher-Cawley announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, many were left heartbroken and torn as to how the season would play out. While battling she continued to practice with the team and coach every game for the rest of the season showing her strength to her team daily.

Watching the games, you saw Schumacher-Cawley’s players were playing for more than the love of the game. Their coach was a beacon of hope alongside them during their postseason run.

During the Nebraska match in the semifinals, the team found themselves down two sets and the season was on the brink. At this point, many teams would be unable to dig themselves out of the hole they fell in, but this team fought back to win the match 3-2.

Through the television, you could feel as if the players would not accept leaving the arena without a win for their head coach.

With the win over Louisville in the championship match, Schumacher-Cawley became the first female head coach to win the women’s volleyball national championship, a feat that was decades in the making.

She’s not only a symbol of hope for her players but for all women in sports.

A statue is more than deserved for the Penn State great. If, and when, one is placed outside of Rec Hall, students who walk past can be brought hope just like she gave to her players.