“I am incredibly fortunate to have an amazing support system in my family, team, friends, my Penn State family, and an incredible medical team.” That’s what Katie Schumacher-Cawley said with her heart wide open when she first shared her diagnosis last September—and man, it hit like a ton of bricks across the volleyball world. The news that Penn State’s head coach was battling breast cancer shook everyone, but even in the darkest storm, Katie brought her signature fire. Fast forward a few months and we got hit with some very good news that had everyone cheering just as loud as a championship match.
“Well, we did it! Six rounds of chemo—done!” she posted on the Gram back in February, practically glowing with relief and strength. “Today, I rang the bell, marking the end of this chapter. What a journey it has been.” From the halls of the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine to the roar of Rec Hall, Katie never stopped fighting—with her family, her team, and her Penn State fam right beside her. And now? She’s not just a cancer survivor. She’s the fearless woman who brought home Penn State’s first NCAA volleyball crown in nine years while taking cancer head-on like the boss she is and is now revealing the support of the college through her journey.
In the video shared by Heroes Foundation, Katie Schumacher-Cawley didn’t hold back. She said, “I didn’t like missing days at the office or in practice. And yeah, I think it’s just that you can get through this and things are hard. But you know, that’s life.” Even in the middle of her chemo journey, Katie wasn’t about to hit pause on the thing she loved. Volleyball, coaching, her squad—none of it took a backseat. She added, “I’m fortunate that, like I said, I’m surrounded by a lot of great people that were here to support me.” And that support? It ran deep.
She gave props to Penn State’s athletic fam, especially Pat Kraft. “From the athletic department, from, you know, our athletic director, Pat Craft, who, you know, a couple times in Philly that I was there for appointments. And, he flew me to Ohio State. We were playing there, but I had to have this appointment. And, you know, so I didn’t miss even team warmups and things like that.” That kind of care? Next level. Katie wrapped it all up with, “I think, being an athlete and in this world, you are competitive. And but, you know, just using the help that you can get to get through it.” Real, raw, and resilient—classic Katie.
And yep, with the whole Penn State crew backing Katie Schumacher-Cawley like the ultimate dream team, she turned adversity into absolute magic. Flashback to December? The Nittany Lions were out there doing big things, snatching their first national title in a full decade. They took down Louisville 3-1 (yep, 25-23, 32-34, 25-20, 25-17) in front of a record-shattering crowd of 21,860 at the KFC Yum! Center. Like, history was literally watching.
And here’s the sparkle in the story—Katie didn’t just coach them to a win; she made history herself. That match? It was two women head coaches battling it out, and Katie came out as the first-ever woman to win the NCAA Division I volleyball crown. Let that sink in. And guess what? That win unlocked something truly unforgettable—something bigger than a trophy and not even cancer could throw a block strong enough to stop her.
Katie Schumacher-Cawley gets major volleyball success!
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