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December 22, 2024
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — Katie Schumacher-Cawley, the reluctant inspiration and one hell of a coach, is now the one member of essentially the most unique membership in NCAA Division I ladies’s volleyball.
She has gained nationwide championships as a participant and a coach.
The primary got here in 1999 when Penn State defeated Stanford for the college’s first title.
The second got here Sunday afternoon when the Nittany Lions (35-2) put an exclamation level on essentially the most unpredictable season in NCAA historical past with a 25-23, 32-34, 25-20, 25-17 victory over Louisville (30-6).
“I feel it’s fairly loopy that I got here again and I’m with Penn State, and to win it as a coach is actually particular,” mentioned Schumacher-Cawley, who joined her outdated coach Russ Rose as an assistant after which bought the job when he retired three years in the past. “Somebody requested is it higher as a participant or as a coach? Like I mentioned, I identical to to win, and I wish to compete, and I like to assist our gamers be one of the best they’ll.
“That is fairly cool, although, as a coach. It’s fairly neat. Yeah, I’d say in all probability as a coach proper now.”
It was Penn State’s eighth crown, one fewer than Stanford, and put an finish to a 2024 season during which Schumacher coached a mix of younger gamers and veteran transfers all of the whereas battling breast most cancers. And he or she grew to become the primary girl to educate a workforce to the title.
“A historic day for volleyball,” mentioned Louisville coach Dani Busboom Kelly, who took Louisville to the season’s final match for the second time in three years. “We’re very pleased for Katie. It’s a giant deal for this sport. I’m very grateful that that monkey is off its again and we are able to transfer on and that extra ladies shall be on this place sooner or later.”
There is no such thing as a doubt that may occur as volleyball continues to blow up on all fronts.
The 21,860 available within the KFC Yum! Heart broke the NCAA Championship attendance document set Thursday of 21,726 available for the semifinals. It marked one other season with higher TV scores and extra parity than ever.
However in the long run, these nationwide semifinals introduced collectively the 4 No. 1 seeds, and within the semifinals Louisville ousted Pittsburgh and Penn State pulled off a reverse sweep towards Nebraska.
Jess Mruzik, the switch from Michigan who capped her profession with back-to-back profession highs right here, led Penn State with 29 kills, hitting .315 after taking 73 swings. She had an help, an ace and 10 digs.
“The usual at Penn State is profitable nationwide championships,” Mruzik mentioned. “That’s the way it’s all the time been. That’s what Coach Rose instilled, and that’s what we attempt to uphold each single day. Yeah, this is sort of a dream come true, however once you come to Penn State, you’re a Penn Stater for all times, and the last word aim is profitable a nationwide championship.”
The opposite outdoors, Camryn Hannah, a switch from Clemson, had 19 kills, together with the match-winner, to go along with an ace, three digs and two blocks one solo. Caroline Jurevicious, a switch from Nebraska, had 10 kills, three digs and two blocks.
Taylor Trammel, a switch from Purdue, had eight kills with one error in 15 assaults to hit .467 and had three blocks, and the opposite center, Maggie Mendelson, one other switch from Nebraska, had six kills with one error in 14 assaults, an help, a dig and 6 blocks, one solo.
Setter Izzy Starck had 55 assists, an ace, a block and 13 digs and Gillian Grimes had 16 digs, seven assists and an ace. Penn State hit .277.
After profitable in 1999 — Katie Schumacher was a standout on that workforce — Penn State gained 4 NCAA titles in a row from 2007-2010 after which went again to again in 2013-14.
Louisville, as anticipated, performed with out its workforce chief and finest participant, outdoors Anna DeBeer. She sprained her ankle two factors into the fourth set towards Pitt within the semifinals and by no means returned.
Charitie Luper led Louisville with 21 kills, six digs and a block. Payton Peterson, the freshman thrust in DeBeer’s spot, had 13 swings with out a kill earlier than getting her first within the third set. She completed with 4 kills and 4 errors, three aces, 10 digs and two blocks.
Arizona switch Sofia Maldonado Diaz had 20 kills as she completed her profession with a flourish, hitting .400 to go along with six digs and 5 blocks. Cara Cresse had 4 kills, an help and 7 blocks. Libero Elena Scott was spectacular at occasions for the Cardinals and had 24 digs and 7 assists. Louisville hit .196.
Louisville is the one ACC workforce to get to the ultimate.
“I believed our workforce was actually spectacular. I feel it’s emotional when you have got a participant like Anna out, who that — everyone on this constructing is aware of that that end result, it won’t be totally different, however it will have been a distinct match,” Busboom Kelly mentioned.
“She sacrificed lots, and to see this recreation taken away from her was actually robust. Like I mentioned, it was an unimaginable efficiency by Charitie and Sofia … We had numerous gamers step up. It was actually spectacular to see.”
Within the first set, Louisville went on a three-point run to tie it at 19. Penn State regained the lead when Mruzik tipped to finish an incredible defensive rally by each groups and it was 21-19 on Grimes’ ensuing ace to the correct nook.
After a Louisville timeout, Grimes went for a similar nook on the following serve, however it went lengthy. Jurevicious bought the result in 22-20 with kill off Luper’s block and it was 23-23 on Ava Falduto’s ace.
Luper bought a kill and an extended rally ended with Penn State within the internet and it was 23-22. Schumacher-Cawley, nevertheless, rapidly went for her problem card, claiming that Louisville was within the internet earlier within the rally. The problem was denied.
The rating was tied when Peterson made a giant dig and Luper bought a kill.
Kong was within the internet and Penn State led 24-23. The set ended with Mruzik acing Luper, who completed the primary set with seven kills and one error in 17 assaults to go along with a dig. Trammel had 4 of her kills with no errors in 5 swings.
Penn State had a 19-13 second-set lead that Louisville whittled to 19-18, however the run ended on a service error by Peterson. Penn State gave it proper again, nevertheless, on a serving error by Hannah and it was 20-19.
Penn State went up 21-19 on a kill by Jurvicious, Maldonado Diaz had a hitting error and Mruzik bought a kill and Louisville couldn’t come from being down 23-19.
Penn State was compelled to name one other timeout up 24-22.
Luper bought a kill to make it 24-23 and the gang erupted. It bought louder when Jurevicious hit out and it was tied 24-24.
Cabello served lengthy however Louisville stayed alive on a kill by Maldonado Diaz out of the left aspect.
Mruzik crushed a ball cross courtroom and Penn State was up 26-25. However Maldonado Diaz bought a kill, this time on the correct aspect, to tie it once more.
Penn State had the lead once more when Starck and Mendelson blocked Peterson. However Louisville wouldn’t go away, with Cresse repeling an over on two by Starck.
Hannah’s kill gave Penn State a 28-27 lead however Starck served into the online.
Extremely, Louisville went forward 29-28 when Penn State was referred to as out of rotation on serve obtain, however the Nittany Lions employees satisfied the officers the decision was incorrect. Regardless of, as a result of Peterson served an ace and Louisville was up 29-28.
Hannah tied it with a kill, however Peterson’s good cross led to Luper swiping the ball off the block and Louisville lead 30-29. It was tied at 30 on a kill by Mruzik.
Penn State gave Louisville a free ball and Luper transformed to make it 31-30, however Mruzik’s kill tied it at 31. She gave Penn State a 32-31 lead and its tenth set level with one other kill.
Louisville tied it on a kill by Maldonado Diaz and took one other lead 33-32 on Luper’s roll shot that capped an extended rally. Louisville gained the set 34-32 when Maldonado Diaz and Hannah Sherman blocked Hannah’s back-row assault.
After two units, Luper had 16 of her kills with solely two errors in 36 swings and was hitting .389. Maldonado Diaz had 13 kills with three errors in 26 assaults, hitting .385. Hannah had 11 for Penn State and Mruzik 10.
Even with the higher hand all through Penn State needed to battle to the top to win the third set. A 19-13 lead was reduce to 22-19 when Sherman and Maldonado Diaz blocked Mruzik. However the Nittany Lions closed it out with a 4-1 run that included two kills by Mruzik, leaving her with 20 after three units.
The fourth set was all Penn State.
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After they performed within the third match of the season for each groups on September 3 at Penn State, the Nittany Lions hit .358 and destroyed Louisville 25-15, 25-19, 25-13.
Mruzik led with 13 kills and Jurevicious had 11. Louisville, which hit .091, bought eight kills every from Cresse and Luper. DeBeer had two kills however seven errors and Maldonado Diaz had three kills and two errors. Peterson, who performed two units, had no kills in seven makes an attempt.
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Lots of the gamers within the match will see one another within the Professional Volleyball Federation.
DeBeer was the second decide total by the brand new Indy Ignite franchise. Scott was the primary decide of the second spherical by Indy.
Hannah went fourth total to Vegas and Luper was the final decide of the third spherical, additionally by Vegas.
Trammell was the fourth decide of the third spherical by Indy.
