Mac Podraza Named Big Ten Setter Of The Week For 14th Time

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

Penn State women’s volleyball standout Mac Podraza was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week for the second time this season and 14th time of her career Monday afternoon.

Podraza led the Nittany Lions to wins over Michigan and Wisconsin last weekend at Rec Hall, combining for 83 assists, 17 digs, seven total blocks, five kills, and an ace. The Sunbury, Ohio, native shared weekly conference recognition with Purdue’s Raven Colvin, Lourdes Myers, and Chloe Chicoine, as well as Nebraska’s Andi Jackson.

Podraza, who attended Big Walnut High School and played her club volleyball for Mintonette Sports, currently sits at 957 assists in a Penn State uniform with four matches left in the regular season. Podraza and the Nittany Lions climbed five spots to No. 14 in this week’s AVCA rankings after the program’s highest-ranked win since 2017, a 3-1 victory over then-No. 2 Wisconsin last Saturday.

“That was an example of us playing cohesively as a group, together,” Podraza said afterward. “That’s one thing we’ve been talking about a lot. We had each other’s backs out there… And yeah, that was a huge win. They’re a really good team. Every win in the Big Ten is huge. It’s definitely going to help us moving forward. I’m proud of this team.”

Podraza’s 51 assists against the Badgers marked a season high for the graduate senior, who’s pursuing a certificate in business management foundations from Penn State after a decorated career at Ohio State, where she was a three-time AVCA All-American and the 2022 Big Ten Setter of the Year. Podraza and senior middle blocker Allie Holland are sharing captain duties for the Nittany Lions this season.

Jess Mruzik, who was named Big Ten Player of the Week on September 5 and 25, is the only other Penn State player to receive weekly conference honors so far this season. Mruzik and Podraza’s connection has been quite successful for the Nittany Lions, as Mruzik surpassed 400 kills this fall during the Wisconsin match and now has 411 heading into Friday’s contest against Michigan State at Rec Hall.

Podraza discussed what motivates her during a recent interview before practice, saying the desire to compete and continually prove herself in the best conference in college volleyball is more than enough to fuel her. She’s been getting extra reps in with fellow setter Ally Van Eekeren and assistant coach Brian Toron.

“I just thrive in competition,” Podraza said. “I like to get better. I like to win. The drive to win keeps me going and makes me want to get in the gym every single day and figure out ways to get better.”

Podraza’s defense has improved throughout the season, allowing Penn State to be more consistent in its passing when opposing teams target her. She has 189 digs and 61 total blocks. On the offensive side, Podraza is second in the Big Ten with 10.29 assists per set, trailing only Nebraska freshman Bergen Reilly, who sits at 10.71.

“I think Mac is improving as we go,” Katie Schumacher-Cawley said recently. “I think her defense has gotten better. I think she’s running a better offense and is aware of what other teams are doing. She’s being creative and finding ways to get us points.”