Head Coach of Penn State Women's Volleyball Katie Schumacher-Cawley She made history on Sunday night three months after being diagnosed with stage II breast cancer.
Schumacher-Cawley, 44, became the first female head coach to win a national championship since the NCAA tournament began in 1981, when her Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the University of Louisville Cardinals on Sunday, Dec. 22.
Schumacher-Cowley "There were many before me who paved the way for me," told ESPN The win marks the eighth national championship in Penn State history. "I'm very grateful and hopefully there will be more in the future who want to coach and be a part of this."
After leaving the courtroom, Schumacher-Cawley was ecstatic about the support shown by her Penn State family during her cancer battle.
"I'm very lucky to be surrounded by so many great people, from this team to my staff," Schumacher-Cawley told reporters. "I'm really lucky to have great people around me who go above and beyond."
Schumacher-Cawley also gives consent to young cancer patients, with whom he regularly crosses his own journey.
"I am inspired by sick children," she added. “I'm doing medicine at UPenn and every time I go to the hospital, I walk right by the children's hospital. Of course, if I can be an inspiration to someone. Then I take it. But I feel good and I am lucky to have people around me. I think that's why we're successful."
Schumacher-Cawley, a former Penn State volleyball player who took over as head coach in January 2022, announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer in October.
"This news was a lot to process, and as you can imagine, it brought up a lot of emotions," he shared via Instagram. “But I approach it with strength, determination and an unwavering sense of hope. We will draw inspiration from the many people in our lives who have battled cancer and won.”
She added, "I know this journey will have challenges, but I also know that with the care and strength of those around me, I'm ready to face it head on. I want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank those who have been through this before me." . The strength, courage and determination you have shown is not only inspiring, but you have helped advance the incredible advances we see in medicine today. Your journey has paved the way for better treatments and outcomes, and I am deeply grateful for that."
Schumacher-Cawley only missed a few practices while juggling her diagnosis and her on-court duties — something that didn't go unnoticed by her players.
"Even if he's not good, you can literally never tell," outside hitter Jess Mruzick said. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette In a story published Thursday, Dec. 19. "He's always himself and he's always having fun."
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