Sat Oct 04 00:20:00 UTC 2025: **NCAA Champion Volleyball Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley Leads Penn State Through Cancer Battle**
**STATE COLLEGE, PA** – Katie Schumacher-Cawley, head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions women’s volleyball team, revealed a courageous battle with stage II breast cancer amidst leading her team to an NCAA championship title in 2024. Schumacher-Cawley, a Penn State alum and the first female head coach to win a Division I NCAA women’s volleyball title, shared her diagnosis publicly in October 2024, but the journey began a month earlier when she discovered a lump. She underwent chemotherapy during the season, all while continuing to coach her team.
“I never wanted to miss,” she said. “I was at peace when I was in the office and with the team.” Her players rallied around her, offering support and strength. The coach’s decision to forgo wearing a wig during treatment, choosing to “rock the caps,” resonated with many women facing similar struggles.
Now in 2025, Schumacher-Cawley is undergoing maintenance chemo with surgery planned for January. Her resilience, rooted in her Chicago upbringing and athletic background, shines through as she focuses on the upcoming season and impacting her players’ lives beyond volleyball. “Love and teamwork” are what she hopes her players remember most. She aims to instill compassion, emphasizing that “everyone goes through hard things.” For Schumacher-Cawley, strength now means “having a positive outlook every day.” At the Big Ten Media Days, she kept the attention on her team, highlighting their achievements and unwavering support.
First Piper 