On Thursday, Oct. 17 Penn State Women’s Volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley announced through Instagram that she has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. This Sunday, for the dig pink game, players and fans had shown their support by flooding Rec Hall with pink.
Coach Schumacher-Cawley On Her Diagnosis
Last week the head coach of the women’s volleyball team, Katie Schumacher-Cawley went to Instagram to share an intimate post announcing she has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I want to take a moment to share something deeply personal with all of you. Recently, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. This news has been a lot to process, and as you can imagine, it has brought a range of emotions. But I’m approaching this with strength, determination, and an unwavering sense of hope.”
Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley
Schumacher-Cawley signed off her post asking for privacy while her and her family navigate this journey together and that it’ll be business as usual at Rec Hall. This past Sunday was the Nittany Lion’s Dig Pink match, where players and fans alike wore pink to show their support for breast cancer patients, leaving Rec Hall in a sea of pink.
Once A Nittany Lion, Always A Nittany Lion
Schumacher-Cawley is no stranger to Happy Valley. State College is not only her alma mater, but during her time as a student, she played for both the volleyball and basketball teams. During her time on the court, Schumacher-Cawley was an influential player for the women’s volleyball team. Helping lead them to the 1999 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship, making it the first national title in the program’s history, along with three Big Ten Conference crowns during her career.
Schumacher-Cawley racked up many awards during her time on the court including being a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American, three-time All-Big Ten selection and three-time AVCA All-Region selection. Schumacher-Cawley ended her career with an impressive 1,310 kills, 772 digs and 299 blocks.
Big Plays
This is Coach Schumacher-Cawley’s third season as the team’s head coach, making her only the third head coach for Penn State Women’s Volleyball in the past 46 years. Prior to this, she served as the assistant coach, under head coach Russ Rose, for four years. During her first two seasons as head coach, Coach Schumacher-Cawley led the team to a 28-5 overall record. Under head coach Schumacher-Cawley the team has also made it to the NCAA tournament each season so far, advancing all the way to the Regional Semifinals.
The Nittany Lions have been having a phenomenal season so far with an overall record of 18-1. The Lions are currently ranked number three in the nation, just under Pittsburgh who has been their only loss so far in the season.
Us here at VALLEY are sending positive energy to Coach Schumacher-Cawley and her family and wish her a speedy and complete recovery!
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