Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1535618
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 5 4 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M E D I T O R I A L MATT HERB MATT.HERB@ON3.COM I t's a truism in coaching that you don't want to be the person who replaces a legend. Better to be the person who re- places the replacement. The burden of expectation falls most heavily on coaches who invite compari- sons to illustrious predecessors just by virtue of their place in the order of suc- cession. Look no further than the Penn State football program for evidence of that inescapable reality. During his brief tenure at PSU, Bill O'Brien endured endless comparisons to Joe Paterno, the only Nittany Lion football coach that many fans had ever known. Everything from his play-calling to his game-day attire was measured against the standard Paterno had set during his 46 years on the sideline, and O'Brien clearly hated it. There were more consequential factors that drove him away from State College after only two seasons, but that didn't help. A few years after the coaching shuffle that ultimately led to James Franklin's arrival, another long-tenured Nittany Lion legend stepped down. Russ Rose had coached the Penn State women's volleyball team for all but the first three seasons of its existence and had won more matches than anyone in the sport (1,330), along with 25 conference titles and seven national championships. It's a measure of Rose's enduring greatness that he won six of his NCAA crowns after he was inducted into the American Vol- leyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in December 2007. In January 2022, Penn State promoted Katie Schumacher-Cawley to succeed Rose. She had been a star player on Penn State's 1999 national championship team and an assistant coach at her alma mater for four years. But could anyone, even someone steeped in the tradition and culture of the program, keep Penn State at the competitive level it had maintained for nearly all of Rose's 43 seasons? The answer, as it turns out, has been an emphatic yes. In her three seasons at the helm, Schumacher-Cawley has guided the Lions to a Big Ten champion- ship, three more NCAA Tournament appearances and the program's eighth national title. She's gone 84-19 overall, compiling an .816 winning percentage that isn't far removed from Rose's (.853). This past February, two months after the Nittany Lions defeated Louisville, 3-1, in the NCAA championship match, Schumacher-Cawley signed a contract extension that will keep her at Penn State through 2030. "Penn State volleyball is more than a team. It is a standard, a culture and a family bound by an unwavering commit- ment to greatness," she said in the official announcement of her new pact. "Every student-athlete, coach and staff member who has ever worn blue and white has contributed to something bigger than themselves, and it is that history, that expectation, that drives us forward." It's likely to drive them back to the top of the national polls when the 2025 season begins, despite significant graduation losses. One of the keys to Schumacher-Cawley's success has been her deft use of the transfer portal to fill vacancies, and Penn State has been re- loading in recent months. The Nittany Lions have made three key additions during the offseason, wel- coming junior outside hitter Kennedy Martin from Florida, sophomore outside hitter Emmi Sellman from Ohio State and fifth-year senior setter Addie Lyon from Saint Louis. Martin's presence should go a long way toward making up for the loss of Jess Mruzik, who claimed the NCAA Tourna- ment's Most Outstanding Player award last year. A first-team AVCA All-Ameri- can as a sophomore, Martin led Division I in points per set last season (6.28) and was second in kills (5.57). During Florida's 3-2 win over Kan- sas in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament, Martin took over the match, finishing with 33 kills. It was a remarkable performance, but hardly unexpected. In 53 career matches with the Gators over two seasons, she posted double-figure kill totals in all of them. The opportunity to suit up for the defending national champions "means the world to me," Martin said in a social media post announcing her commit- ment. "I'm so thankful for everyone who helped me get here — my coaches, team- mates, family and friends. Your support has made all the difference. I can't wait to be a part of such a strong and storied program." At Penn State, the 6-foot-6 Martin will be teaming up with an elite setter in sophomore Izzy Starck, last season's AVCA National Freshman of the Year, as well as redshirt sophomore outside hitter Caroline Jurevicius, one of the stars of the Lions' championship run. PSU is also getting set to welcome a stellar freshman class, and its 2026 class features four players who are ranked among the na- tion's top 35 prospects by PrepDig.com. With a combination of high-level recruiting and astute portal moves, the Nittany Lions have given themselves a chance to meet the highest standard of all: their own. ■ One of the top players in the transfer portal, junior out- side hitter Kennedy Martin, an All-American at Florida, announced May 7 that she was signing with Penn State. PHOTO COURTESY KENNEDY MARTIN For These Nittany Lions, Pressure Is A Privilege VARSITY VIEWS