Penn State beats Louisville 3-1 to make Schumacher-Cawley 1st female coach to win volleyball title

By GARY B. GRAVES The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Jess Mruzik made 29 kills with a .315 hitting percentage, and Katie Schumacher-Cawley became the first female coach to win a NCAA volleyball championship as Penn State defeated Louisville 3-1 in the final. The Nittany Lions (35-2) earned their record eighth national championship and first since 2014 under the third-year coach, who has led the team while undergoing treatment for breast cancer that was diagnosed in September. Schumacher-Cawley has nonetheless conducted practices between treatments, a determined and emotional journey that provided a rallying point for players and garnered widespread support. Penn State completed its mission by winning 25-23, 32-34, 25-20 and 25-17.