The Penn State women’s volleyball program held its fourth weekly media availability of the 2024 season Tuesday afternoon before practice at Rec Hall.

Head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, freshman setter Izzy Starck, and redshirt freshman pin hitter Caroline Jurevicius fielded questions before hopping on a jet to fly to West Lafayette, Indiana, for Penn State’s top-10 matchup against Purdue Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

Starck earned her third Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors Monday after leading the Nittany Lions (10-1) to wins over James Madison and Yale. Starck shared conference recognition with USC’s Jadyn Livings and is the first Penn State player since Jonni Parker in 2018 to receive three Big Ten Freshman of the Week nods.

Jurevicius is making a name for herself as one of the hardest hitters in the conference in her debut season and established a strong connection with Starck during non-conference play. The 6-foot-2 standout from Cleveland, Ohio, has been a key contributor for the Nittany Lions and will likely play a significant role in Wednesday’s showdown with the Boilermakers, who won both matches against Penn State last season.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley

What were some of the biggest things you learned last weekend and during non-conference play overall?

“I’m happy with how the team bounced back after Wednesday’s [loss to Pitt]. I think our preseason was really competitive. I think we learned a lot [about] what we need to work on moving forward, how we need to continue to get better for conference play. It doesn’t get any easier from [here] on out. I think the team is focused. We had a good practice yesterday (Monday). We’ll get in the gym for just a little bit today and then take off and get to Purdue. We’re ready to go. I think we’ve moved on. We talked about [how] it’s a new season now. We have 10 home matches and 10 away. You have to be able to win at home and steal on the road.”

You start with a top-10 team [in Purdue]. Next week, you have matches on back-to-back days [against Maryland and Oregon]. How are you preparing for conference play?

“I just think our schedule this preseason. We played quite a few matches within a short time frame. Credit to our strength coach, [Matt Dorn], and our athletic trainer, [Scott Campbell]. I think they’ve done a good job of making sure everyone’s healthy. I think the team did a really good job this summer getting in the best shape they could to prepare for the season. I think we do a good job of taking breaks when we need them and making sure they’re getting their rest. I know they understand the importance of that. Hey, it’s here, whether you’re ready or not. We have to buckle up and compete hard.”

What went into the decision to change the starting lineup against James Madison and then going back to what we’ve been used to against Yale?

“We kind of just flipped around our rotations. Sometimes, it’s to get Cam [Hannah] starting left front. Or Taylor [Trammell]. Taylor was our best attacker at times. You usually want your best attacker starting in the front row. It might change the matchup at the net, but not so much who’s next to who. Just a little different look to keep Purdue guessing.”

You guys have more than seven players who are starting caliber. I imagine there has been some unselfishness there and that they just want to see the team have success. What are your thoughts on that?

“Absolutely. I would have liked to have gotten more people in at certain points of the preseason, but I think that’s something that you can’t really predict. I think the players know that they have to be ready to go. They understand that the goal is to win. However we start is kind of where the coaching staff thinks is the best spot for us. I think everyone’s been working hard. I tell them every day, ‘You have no idea when you’re going to get your opportunity.’ Use practice, and I know it’s hard to stay engaged for a long period of time, but I think the team has done a really good job with that.”

What impresses you about Purdue? They took both matches against you guys last year.

“I think they’re very good. I think they have a lot of great attackers, not just their outsides. I think [Raven] Colvin has been really good. I’m impressed with her game. I think Purdue plays fast. I know they play really well at home. It will be loud and crowded. We’ll have to be focused and ready to go from the first whistle.”

With this being your third year as head coach here, is there anything you’ve learned going through the Big Ten gauntlet that you can apply to this season?

“As a coach and staff, I think you try to be as prepared as you can with what we do in practice and the film we [watch] with the players. I think that’s gotten better and better every year. We have more people on staff now. I think that really helps. The goal is to be prepared and make sure our players are. I think that’s gotten better.”

We’ve seen attendance records throughout the country this season. What are your thoughts on a potential match at the Bryce Jordan Center?

“Oh, I would love that. Or how about Beaver Stadium? I think volleyball is blowing up right now, obviously, because of how many matches are on TV. I’m happy for the team. I’m happy for Penn State that we’re on as much as we are. It’s about Penn State and not just Penn State volleyball. I think it’s great. I think it’s only growing more and more with the professional leagues that we have here now. I know our seniors are excited to have opportunities to do that. Obviously, they’re getting seen so many nights because we are on TV.”

Mac [Podraza] is making her color commentary debut [on Big Ten Network] tomorrow night for your match against Purdue. What do you think that will be like for her?

“I talked to her yesterday. I’m excited. I know she’s a little nervous, but I think she’ll be great. I know she’s looking forward to it. We’ll see her at practice tomorrow [at Holloway Gymnasium]. Mac’s great. She knows the game. She’s doing the game with Connor Onion, who I think is really good. I know he’ll help her a lot. I know she’ll add a lot to it. I’m excited for her.”

Izzy picked up her third Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. I wanted to touch on that because, whether it was Mac last year or Seleisa [Elisaia] the year before, you only had them for one year. How important is it to now have a freshman setter in Izzy who’s as talented as she is and also somebody who you can build around for the next four years?

“It’s awesome. I’m so excited for her and that she does have multiple years left. We were in a situation where we had to pull players [from the transfer portal] like we did. I think everyone who’s come through had a great experience and really enjoyed being at Penn State. The thing with Izzy is that she’s very good right now, but I know she knows that she has so much room to grow and to get better and to continue to learn about the game. I’m thrilled for her. I think she understands the value of our passers and the attackers who she has. I think that all goes into her getting awards. I think that the team is happy for her.”

On Friday, we saw her take a swing against JMU and again at one point against Yale. Is that something that you want to see more of moving forward?

“She did hit in high school, too. She set and hit as well, so she can hit. No, we were just kind of messing around a little bit. Of course, she got blocked, too. She can take a swing. She’s a good attacker. She’s just a good volleyball player. She has experience hitting. I think that only helps her game.”

Going off of that, are we going to see Maggie [Mendelson’s] jump serve again moving forward?

“I don’t think so. She’s working hard on her serve. I think, for her, she just has to take a deep breath and relax. She knows how to serve. We do it every day. Sometimes, it’s the big lights and the open space of Rec Hall. She’ll get there. I think her jump-float serve is a little bit better than her topspin serve.”

Caroline [Jurevicius] has a jump serve, too. Do you think that will be an asset during Big Ten play?

“Preseason? Yes. But I think Ava [Falduto] was scoring so much on her serve that we were like, ‘Hey, we have to earn points right away.’ That’s why we were putting Ava in that spot. CJ works on her serve a lot. One hundred percent, that will come into play at some point.”

Gillian [Grimes] was absolutely everywhere on Sunday [against Yale]. I always feel like, while I’m watching her play, it’s kind of like the Energizer Bunny. How much does the team feed off of the energy that she brings?

“Gill has great energy. She’s really consistent with it. I think that’s the fun part about it. She’s like that in practice. They feed off of it. She gets some big digs. I think her serving game has gotten a lot better, too. She’s finding ways to score on the end line. I’m happy for her. She’s a junior, and I think she turned a corner this summer and got stronger. She’s made a presence for herself.”

And we found out she can kill, too. 

“I know, right? She’ll make sure that’s in the stat line, too. She won’t let that go.”

Who’s a player or two who maybe doesn’t garner a ton of headlines but is really important to what you guys are trying to do?

“We talk about every player having a role and that it’s what the team needs, even if it’s something that they’re not necessarily happy about the position that they’re in. In practice, Quinn [Menger] is setting the other side. ‘Juice’ [Nathan] is playing well. [So are] Karis [Willow] and Alexa [Markley]. Jordan [Hopp] was injured a little bit here, so she’s been out, but they know their role. Kate Lally, I’ll tell you, she serves for us in practice. I mean, she’ll play a little defense, but she knows her role is to make the passers better, and she serves. I think all of those players who you guys haven’t seen play much, they do the work during the week and they’re helping the ones who you guys see all the time be successful. I wouldn’t say there is just one of them. I think they’re all really contributing. I know that’s so cheesy, but they are, because we talk about that. Jordan will tell you that her role right now is to force the middles to get better and to block her on the slide. Kate Lally will be the first to tell you that, ‘I have to make the passers better.’ I think it’s them knowing where they’re at and being honest with that. Like I said, sometimes they don’t like it, but they know it’s helping the team. All of them.”

Izzy Starck

What’s it been like playing with your sister?

“It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been a lot different than high school was, a higher level and everything. We have to make a lot more adjustments than just playing, but it’s been good because we both see different points of the game. She helps me out a lot on the court and everything.”

How are you preparing for Big Ten play?

“I think just a lot of all-around play. Big Ten teams are known for being heavy hitters, big girls, too, and just really good defenders. Really all-around play and everything and how scrappy they are, so I think making sure we’re being scrappy back and focusing on our side, too.”

What’s the biggest thing that you feel like you’ve improved upon from match one to match 11, and now starting Big Ten play?

“I think just seeing the other side of the court, too. Before, I just kind of set what I usually set. I think, now, I’m getting a little bit better at seeing what the other side does, seeing what the blocker does, and just being a little smarter about what I do with my movements and everything.”

You’ve now earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times. Do you ever take a minute to appreciate that?

“I definitely appreciate it. When I see it, it’s kind of a shock, because it’s a lot of times in a short four weeks. I never thought it was going to be like that or anything. I see it and I’m like, ‘I’m getting it because I’m constantly improving.’ I think just focusing on, ‘What can I do next? What can I get better at?’ That type of stuff.”

Who are some setters you admired growing up?

“Definitely Alisha Glass and Micha Hancock. I’ve been around Penn State, watching a lot [while] I’ve grown up, and I’ve been compared to how they move and everything. I think focusing on what they do, how they move, what they set, and their mental game and everything I really focus on, because they were young setters in a Big Ten program.”

What’s the relationship like between you and Maggie [Mendelson]?

“It’s been really good. We’re really good friends off the court. We live together. Middle-setter connection, it’s really hard. It’s such a fast tempo, so you need to have a lot of communication, and you can’t get hurt when someone tells you to be better at something or tells you to set it higher. It’s nice, because we’re so close off the court. We’re able to have those really good talks with each other.

How are you working on strengthening that connection between you and the pins?

“I think just constant communication, because, even if it’s a bad set or a good set, they’re telling me, ‘That’s the set I want’ or maybe ‘This is the set I want.’ The constant communication, whether it’s good or bad, really helps.”

What was the reason behind why you chose No. 21?

“My mom’s sister, who passed away when she was 19, was going to play college volleyball. She was going to be No. 21, so I did it for her and my mom.”

What was your thought process when you went up for that attack against JMU?

“I was like, ‘I really hope I hit this in,’ because I just know they’ll get mad if I go up and take a swing at it, but the nice thing is Katie likes me being really aggressive. I saw the block and I was like, ‘I really hope this goes around the block.’ It didn’t, but that’s okay. I’m working on it. It has been something I’ve done a lot, so I’m definitely working on that.”

Caroline Jurevicius

What were some of the biggest things that you learned about your team during [non-conference play]?

“I learned that we’re a very hard-working group. I learned that we have a lot of endurance. I learned that we can be there for each other in the big moments.”

What has the transition been like from Nebraska to here and playing for the first time this season?

“Seamless. It’s been absolutely seamless. I’ve had a great environment around me that’s cultivated that seamlessness, and I’m super grateful for that.”

What has it been like to play at the same university that your dad played at?

“It’s a lot of people coming up to me and saying, ‘Hey, I know your dad.’ I’m like, ‘Shocker, he knows everybody.’ No, it’s been absolutely amazing. It’s opened up a lot of doors for me and I’m super grateful for that.”

Going off of that, how have your parents been influential in your career being athletes themselves?

“Yeah, they’ve had a lot of influence. My dad, he worked me growing up. He built a sand court [during] COVID so we could get those reps at 6 a.m. I attribute a lot of who I am as an athlete to him and a lot of my mindset to my mom.”

How much of it has been trying to carry on the family legacy a little bit, but then also making a name for yourself?

“I’d say it’s probably about five percent trying to carry on the family legacy and then 95 trying to do it for myself. I think those numbers have shifted over the years, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to do it for me more.”

What was your reaction when you saw your sister, Ava, committed to Penn State?

“I was driving to Dayton to go visit my best friend from high school. She called me and said that she committed. I started screaming. It was so great. That was one of my happiest memories. I’m super excited for her to get out here in January.”

What do you think that will be like playing with her again starting next year?

“We played together in high school [at Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School] for two years, so we’ve had a little bit of time together, but I think, in this big of an environment, it will be great for her and great for us and our relationship to go through this together.”

Have you been watching the relationship between Anj and Izzy that they have together and taking notes for next year?

“I think my sister and I have a different dynamic than Anj and Izzy. They’re very calm, cool, and collected together. My sister, she’s a gem. We’ll see how this relationship evolves, but yeah, I think there are going to be some similarities. I think there are also going to be some differences.”

Going through non-conference play, what do you think is the biggest way that the game has evolved?

“I think the game has evolved in that you can’t really roll over teams anymore. I think there’s such a high level of talent everywhere. Every single team that we’ve played, they have a big gun on them, they have amazing defense. I think just respecting your opponent, whoever you’re playing, I think that’s definitely how volleyball has changed.”

I saw in the past that you said you and [Nebraska’s] Andi Jackson are really close. What’s your relationship like with her? What impresses you about her as a player?

“Andi Jackson, I mean, impressive as a player? Yeah. She’s a great athlete. She can jump. She can hit the ball. But I’m more impressed with her as a person. That’s my best friend. She’s an amazing, amazing girl who cares a lot about the people around her and making them better. I love seeing her thrive right now. She’s doing great.”

How have you seen Izzy improve throughout the first 11 matches?

“Confidence. I think that, coming in as a freshman and being the setter on a top-10 team, that’s daunting, but she’s taken it by the horns and she’s gone after it. I’m super proud of her.”

How have Cam [Hannah] and Jess [Mruzik] helped you as a pin hitter?

“They’ve helped me in that they have experience, whether it be here or different schools. They know what the game is like at the collegiate level and they’ve been doing it for a minute now. They give me the advice, tell me to calm down when I need to calm down, and just help me see the game in a different light.”

How are you preparing for Big Ten play?

“I’m preparing for Big Ten play the same I would prepare for any other match. I go in and just make sure that I know my opponent, know who I’m playing, and also I have to take care of myself and take care of my body. You kind of just have to maintain those things throughout the entire season to make it sustainable.”

You have experience in the conference, albeit off the court last season. What are you telling the players who don’t?

“I think that preparation is key. When you have time to go watch the film on whoever you’re playing, that’s going to be key. Know your opponent. That’s it.”

What stands out to you about Purdue on film?

“Their outsides. They have a very, very good duo of outsides. I’ve played with Chloe [Chicoine] and I’ve played against Eva [Hudson] in club. They’re a dynamic duo. I’m excited to see what we can do against them.”