Penn State has reclaimed its position as a leader in women’s college volleyball.

In a thrilling four-set match, the top-seeded Penn State triumphed over fellow top-seed Louisville at the KFC Yum! Arena in Louisville, Kentucky, clinching the 2024 NCAA Div. I women’s volleyball national title. The match concluded with scores of 25-23, 32-34, 25-20, and 25-17, and Camryn Hannah delivered the decisive kill to secure the victory for the Nittany Lions.

This win is historic as it marks Penn State coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley as the first female head coach to achieve a Division I volleyball championship in NCAA history.

“So many have come before me and paved the way,” Schumacher-Cawley exclaimed in an ESPN interview following the victory. “I’m incredibly thankful, and I hope this inspires more women to pursue coaching and be involved in this sport.”

This is the Nittany Lions’ eighth national championship, placing them second in the all-time NCAA volleyball championships, and it is their first title in more than ten years.

Additionally, the national championship match set a new attendance record for NCAA Division I volleyball, attracting a crowd of 21,860 fans.

In the match’s opening set, despite having a .003 lower hitting percentage than Louisville, Penn State won 25-23 thanks to a service ace from graduate outside hitter Jess Mruzik.

The Nittany Lions seemed poised to take a 2-0 lead late in the second set but were unable to secure it, despite having ten set-point opportunities. Louisville outside hitter Payton Peterson, who stepped in for the injured Anna DeBeer, played a key role by scoring three aces in that set. Ultimately, Louisville won the second set 34-32 thanks to a block by Diaz Maldonado and Hannah Sherman.

This would be the only set Penn State would drop, as they proceeded to win Sets 3 and 4 with scores of 25-20 and 25-17, respectively. On the day, Penn State hit .277, while Louisville maintained a hitting percentage of .196.

Mruzik led Penn State with an impressive 29 kills, adding 14 digs and five blocks, and achieved a .315 hitting percentage. Her standout performance earned her the title of NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, as highlighted during the ESPN broadcast.

This championship win also holds a significant emotional weight for Schumacher-Cawley, who is currently battling Stage 2 breast cancer. Diagnosed in September, she began treatment in October and publicly shared her diagnosis with the community.

To reach the championship match, Penn State executed a remarkable reverse sweep against Big Ten rival Nebraska in the semifinals after initially losing the first two sets. Throughout the NCAA tournament, the Nittany Lions also secured victories over Delaware State, North Carolina, Marquette, and Creighton.

With this win, Penn State finishes their season on a 12-match winning streak and boasts an impressive overall record of 35-2.