Penn State women’s volleyball head coach and breast cancer survivor Katie Schumacher-Cawley has been named an ambassador for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the foundation announced. The foundation and Schumacher-Cawley will work closely to help promote the importance of cancer research and, ultimately, find a cure.

“The mission is bigger than sports,” Schumacher-Cawley said in a video. “It’s about coming together as a team to make a difference.”

Schumacher-Cawley announced she was diagnosed with breast cancer last October, however, she kept coaching the Nittany Lions throughout the season. Through her leadership, Schumacher-Cawley led her team to a 35-2 season that culminated in a national championship, making her the first female head coach to win a Division I women’s volleyball NCAA title.

In February, after a six-month battle with breast cancer, Schumacher-Cawley announced she rang the bell, completing her chemotherapy. Through the foundation, she will use her platform to advocate for and promote cancer research.

The V Foundation, founded by the late award-winning basketball coach and commentator Jim Valvano and ESPN, has funded nearly $400 million in game-changing research grants in North America. Through its endowment, the foundation can cover administrative expenses, awarding all direct donations to cancer research and programs. After his year-long battle with adenocarcinoma, Valvano died in April 1993.

“Coach Valvano’s relentless fight against cancer continues to inspire so many, and I am committed to doing my part in advancing research and support for those affected,” Schumacher-Cawley said in a message on the foundation’s website. “If my efforts can contribute even in the smallest way to finding a cure or providing hope, then I know I am honoring who coach Valvano was and the countless warriors battling this disease every day.”