With the regular season kicking off in just a few weeks, Katie Schumacher-Cawley, Kennedy Martin, and Caroline Jurevicius joined Big Ten Volleyball Media Day in Chicago to reflect on the 2025 season and discuss expectations for this year.

After securing their eighth National Championship in 2024, the Nittany Lions faced an interesting 2025 season that didn’t meet the standards Penn State volleyball is known to satisfy. 

A major change was the choice of star setter Izzy Stark stepping away from the program after four matches and ultimately transferring to Pitt. 

The Nittany Lions finished the 2025 season with an overall record of 19-13, going 12-8 in Big Ten play, but had a rather early exit in the NCAA tournament. They defeated South Florida in the first round before being swept by Texas in the second. 

“I’m really proud of the group we had and the challenges they faced,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “Every year is a learning experience.”

Penn State does have a key player returning to the court, and that comes in the form of 6-foot-6 right-side hitter Kennedy Martin. 

It’s no secret that Martin has been a phenom for the Nittany Lions, rightfully earning her spot on the Player of the Year watchlist for this upcoming season. Martin tallied 634 kills and 48 service aces in her first year at Penn State, topping both of her previous season totals at Florida. 

“She plays hard all the time. She calls herself a ball hog, and I love that about her because she wants to get every kill. I’m proud of the work she put in this spring and summer, and she’s ready to go,” Schumacher-Cawley stated. 

The record-setting senior will look to exceed the 2,000 career kill mark this year. She set program records in points per set, kills, and kills per set, as well as single-season points (728). She finished second in the nation in points/set (6.22) and third in kills per set (5.42).

Another key player on the Nittany Lion squad and a major part of Penn State’s success the past two seasons is redshirt junior outside hitter Caroline Jurevicius.

Despite injuries limiting her time on the court, Schumacher-Cawley shared just how impactful Jurevicius has been. 

“I’m really proud of what CJ’s done and how hard she works. She’s always a great teammate, and I think she had quite the experience as a college player and has a lot to give.”

Not only is Jurevicius’ role on the court important, but her leadership in building culture and chemistry, especially for the newcomers, has been vital to the team’s success.  

“We have a lot of new pieces, and it’s been a great environment in the gym,” Jurevicius said. “I think the biggest thing I have to remember is that there’s a time for volleyball and there’s a time to allow these women into the program from a social standpoint and just making sure they’re okay with everything.

“Making sure that they have somebody to talk to about literally anything they could possibly need. I feel like my role specifically has been making sure they’re okay as people.”

Although Martin and Jurevicius were the two players selected to join media day, the Nittany Lions expect successful seasons from seven other returning players.

Offensively, junior outside hitter Emmi Sellman is looking to build off a strong sophomore season, where she recorded 257 kills and 41 blocks; sophomore outside hitter Alexis Ewing tallied 77 kills and 19 blocks across 20 matches her freshman year; and sophomore middle blocker Gabrielle Nichols had 68 kills and 49 blocks in 26 match appearances. 

Defensively, junior Ava Falduto, who tallied 548 digs across two seasons, is expected to take over the libero position; senior defensive specialist Jocelyn Nathan, who sits at 202 career digs, will help lead back row duties; and defensive specialists Lexi Gin and Ava Jurevicius look to see more court time their sophomore seasons. 

Through challenge, adversity, and change, Martin and Jurevicius said all of the returners were impressive in the way they persevered through last season.

Martin said they were specific on their goals, and didn’t let the outcome of one game effect how they would play in the next.

“There was a standard that never changed, and life throws things at you, and sports amplifies that. I think we did a very good job keeping it in the locker room, keeping it within us, and leaning on each other when moments got especially tough,” Jurevicius added. 

As for newcomers, the Nittany Lions are adding three transfers and four freshmen to their roster. 

Alexis Stucky, a redshirt senior setter from Florida sitting at 3,047 career assists, will reunite with Martin in Happy Valley after they played two seasons together for the Gators.

When asked about rekindling the connection with setter Alexis Stucky on the court, Martin shared the excitement of being a part of the process. 

“I was just so excited. I was a part of her official visit. Just internally, I was like, don’t be disappointed if she doesn’t come here. I want her to be happy,” Martin shared. “I was at the nail salon, I believe, and she called me, FaceTimed me, and I had to step outside and freak out. She’s just been a joy to play with so far, and she always will be.”

Coach Schumacher-Cawley also expressed her excitement about the addition of Stucky, citing her want to win and how great a teammate she has been so far.

The other transfers include Ryla Jones from Pitt and Whitney Lauenstein from Texas and Nebraska. They will team up with a super talented freshman class, giving Schumacher-Cawley ample options to choose from.

“We don’t talk about winning. We talk about getting better every day. We talk about being great teammates, and I’m excited to see what this group will do,” Schumacher-Cawley said.

The Nittany Lions will start the regular season with a home match on Saturday, August 29 against UConn.