The Penn State women’s volleyball program held its third weekly media availability of the 2025 season Wednesday afternoon before practice at Rec Hall.
The Nittany Lions (2-2) were in main gym Wednesday getting some work in on the new Taraflex court that replaced the hardwood floor this offseason. In order for teams to host the NCAA tournament moving forward, they will need a Taraflex court for all matches, a new development this year.
Head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley and freshman middle blocker Gabrielle Nichols spoke to the media ahead of Penn State’s home opener versus Kentucky Friday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. The program will unveil its 2024 NCAA national championship banner before its big match against the Wildcats, and three of last year’s seniors will be back in Rec Hall for the occasion.
Jess Mruzik, Camryn Hannah, and Quinn Menger will be in attendance to watch their former teammates compete against Kentucky. Anjelina Starck arrived in Spain this week to begin her professional volleyball career, and Taylor Trammell is planning to visit Rec Hall for a different match this season. The full transcript of questions and answers from Wednesday’s press conferences can be found below.
Katie Schumacher-Cawley
What do you think when you look ahead to Friday and some of the emotion [that comes with raising the championship banner]? Do you think that’s needed right now in terms of trying to put last year to rest and focus [on this year]?
“Yeah, I think it will be great to have some of the seniors back, and great for the team to be playing at home. I know they’re excited to be back in Rec Hall. Traveling the first two weekends is tough. We played, obviously, four ranked teams, and fumbled up a little bit [last] weekend, but it will be a learning experience for this group moving forward.”
What’s it like seeing Anjelina [Starck] have a chance to play professionally over in Spain?
“I’m so excited for her. She’s there. She sent me a picture of her in her practice gear, so she’s really excited. I’m happy for her to have this experience.”
How much do you anticipate being back at home will help your team out?
“Tremendously. It’s almost a sold-out crowd. We have our new Taraflex, our new floor, and I think just the excitement of being back in Rec Hall is exactly what this team needs.”
What are the challenges when you have a new playing surface? Is it anything for the players to adjust to?
“I don’t think so. They might say it’s a little bit softer. We’re used to practicing on the wood floor in South Gym anyway. I think it’s a little bit softer. I’m just glad it got here in time and looks clean. It looks like our regular floor. We practiced on it last week a couple times. We’ll go in there today and tomorrow and be ready for Friday.”
You mentioned some potential changes to preparation and practices. Have any of those already been implemented and how has that been?
“We had a great practice [Tuesday]. I thought the team came back focused and had good energy. They understand that we have to move on quickly from a loss and learn from it. We have a short window of time to prepare for Kentucky. We started with defense yesterday and covered a lot of things to help us for Friday’s match.”
This Friday is going to be the championship celebration. While getting a win against Kentucky obviously takes priority, how much are you and your team looking forward to celebrating that accomplishment? Do you think it will put the team in a good mindset for the match?
“I think this team has moved on from last season. We talked about that in preseason, but I think they’ll be excited to see their teammates coming back, and being able to celebrate it one more time, and see the banner in the rafters, and enjoy that. But I think this group is focused on moving forward from last season.”
Kentucky has two really great outside hitters [in Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson]. What impresses you about them?
“They’re both very good. We’ve competed against them a couple times already. We’ll need to slow them down and score in other positions. I think Kentucky is playing really great volleyball right now. We’re excited to welcome them here.”
Alexis [Ewing], Gabrielle [Nichols], and Lexi [Gin] played a bit last weekend in Pittsburgh. What did they do to put themselves in those positions?
“They’ve been getting better in every practice. I think preseason is that time for the opportunities to put in new players and to kind of give them that experience. Because I know we’ll need all 18 of these girls as we get going into the season. It’s a very long season, and so I just wanted to make sure they got a little playing time, and kind of get their feet wet, and continue to get better in practice.”
Going back to the adjustments you talked about, against TCU, your team found itself in some big holes early on in some of the sets. Has it been part of the strategy leading up to Kentucky to try and strike first and avoid falling behind early?
“Absolutely, yes. We would like to earn the first few points and make [fewer] errors. We had ourselves in a situation last weekend where I think we were making 11 errors a set, and that is way too many. It’s hard to win when you’re doing that. So focusing on first contact. As attackers, knowing what we’re doing with the ball. I would like to see us be much better defensively.”
Going back to the freshmen, we saw Gabrielle get significant time [against TCU]. What did you like from her performance in that match? Should we expect to see more from her?
“Yeah, I love [Gabrielle’s] energy. She’s always ready to go. I think she’s probably one of our best blockers on the team. She has grown and gotten so much better this summer into the season. For sure, we’ll see a lot of her this season.”
Kennedy Martin and Izzy Starck have had some huge performances so far this season. How would you say their hard work impacts the team? Are you looking for them to step up again this weekend?
“Yeah, absolutely. Kennedy and Izzy work really hard at their skills, and they’re working harder together to get their connection a little bit smoother. I would expect that they both have a great weekend. They both compete and like to win. I’m just proud of how they work together. They’re doing the extra things to help themselves.”
Who do you think is leading this team from a player [standpoint], and is Kennedy in that mix? Is it hard to do that when you’re [relatively new to the program]?
“I think Gill [Grimes] is a pretty vocal leader. She’s the one who gets the team going a lot. Our captains this year are Gill, Jordan [Hopp], and Emmi [Sellman], but each of them have a leadership role, and I stress that all the time. And, yes, Kennedy, for sure, has leadership qualities, and I think is still kind of getting used to what we do here at Penn State, but she’s definitely not afraid to open her mouth and help people along the way. I look forward to her doing more of that.”
Have you observed any of that in the last few days?
“Oh, yeah. A couple of them hit the panic button after a loss, and I have to remind them that this is preseason, and there are definitely things that we know we’re better at, and we weren’t performing well. Doing the right things off the court, getting rest, eating well, and taking care of your body is the priority. I know they’re going to focus on that and be able to contribute a little bit more.”
Arizona State and TCU both run a 6-2 offense. Looking ahead, New Hampshire does as well. What about that type of offense presents challenges to the defense?
“I think it’s because you always have an attacker in front of you, and the setter is always back row. So, defensively, it’s being aware of what’s going on and communicating well, which I think our players do a good job at, but I think sometimes they take breaks, and that’s where we kind of lose points. I think just being more focused throughout the longer rallies and [being] aware of our surroundings.”
What are some of the most important fundamentals to solid blocking?
“Being aggressive. Balls that we get tooled on, we’re not attacking the ball. I think it’s just [having] an aggressive mentality. We can be in all the right spots, and a ball can still go through the block, but you can make an effort defensively. For us, it’s effort, and having that mindset of not letting the ball fall.”
You guys switched around the rotations a bunch the first two weekends. How has that been beneficial, but also, do you want to get to a point eventually where you’re maybe doing less of that?
“We’ll keep working until I feel it’s right. I think there are a lot of players who will be coming in and contributing. It’s my job to find the right pieces and make sure we get the lineup right before the end of preseason.”
When you [took over as head coach here], the emphasis on marketing was seven stars. That was a big piece. Why did you want to do that? We’ve seen it a lot in soccer.
“I think it was because of soccer is how we started it. We had it on a shirt a couple years ago, and it kind of just stuck. The girls liked it. It looks nice on the jerseys. We only have it on one of them, but I think it’s just something to always remember the players who came before you, and it’s nice to earn your own.”
But the challenge of that is you have to change everything to eight. How has that been for the equipment staff?
“There are a lot of moving parts with that, but it’s still nice to have the seven-star [stuff], too. People will still wear it.”
This team has [a fair amount of] freshmen, but also several seniors. How do think their leadership has impacted the younger players?
“It’s a unique experience with this senior group. We added Addie [Lyon], who’s a fifth-year. She hasn’t played a ton, but she brings so much energy and a different perspective to the team, which I think has been so helpful for the younger players. Each of them play a big role, but I think the seniors, they realize it’s their last go-around, and so they want to make sure that they’re leaving it a little bit better than when they got here.”
How have you seen the team rally around and support Marin [Collins] while she recovers from her injury?
“They’re so happy she’s back [on campus]. She wasn’t with us [in] preseason and [at] the first tournament, so it’s nice having her back and feeling better, getting off the scooter, and hopefully, we’ll get her going in the gym at some point here next month.”
You mentioned Addie [Lyon]. I noticed in Pittsburgh, during timeouts, she’ll be off to the side talking to Izzy [Starck]. How have you noticed her helping Izzy so far?
“They train together for that position. They’re always training together. I think Addie is so helpful with [reading] the defense, maybe what sets are better than what she’s doing. I think she’s just another set of eyes to help her. Izzy really trusts her and enjoys training with her.”
What are some things you would like to see from Caroline [Jurevicius] and Emmi [Sellman] moving forward?
“I think our left-sides need to be a little bit more consistent. I think they’re both really good blockers and can be better at that, moving the ball around a little bit more, finding some different shots, and working high-hands. We’ve been working on that, too. They’re working to get better. I think having the ability to score is going to separate them.”
What impresses you about Kentucky’s libero [Molly Tuozzo]?
“I think she’s very good. She’s feisty. She’s quick. I think they’re a well-prepared team. I’m just glad we get them here this year.”
Gabrielle Nichols
What was it like getting into your first college match the other day [against TCU]?
“It was super exciting when the coaches told me that I was going to sub in. I’ve been preparing for that moment for such a long time, so [after] all the visualizing and drilling techniques, I knew, I just felt I was right where I was supposed to be. And my teammates were super encouraging and made me feel super comfortable on the court.”
Anybody, specifically, help you through the nerves?
“I think my middles. My middles definitely helped me, just remembering everything that we were talking about previously. Caroline Jurevicius also really helped me. I owe some of that to them.”
How did your time playing for the [USA] U19 team [this summer] help you start off this season?
“I would say that it just made me feel comfortable being in an uncomfortable and tough situation. We were facing a lot of adversity overseas and just a lot on the line. So learning how to play with those nerves and learning how to play with some of the best players in the country, and some of the best players in the world, was just super amazing. And it just really helped me and my mental game walking into any gym in the U.S.”
What did it mean to you to represent your country and wear red, white, and blue?
“Yes, it meant everything to me, just repping, not only my country, but also my family, wearing my last name on my back. I hold that with a lot of pride.”
What does it mean to you guys to come back home and settle in for a long stretch [of matches at Rec Hall]?
“I think it’s going to be good for us to play [on our] home court. Obviously, the traditional of Rec Hall, it’s huge. It’s amazing. We have a great support system. So I think staying home is really going to help us.”
You’ve watched matches from the crowd [at Rec Hall]. What do you think it will be like finally being out on the court with your teammates?
“I think it’s going to be a surreal experience. I did get to touch the court [against] Pitt during the spring match, but in a real, in-season match, I think it’s going to be even more magical.”
You mentioned your other middles helping you whenever you entered [the match against TCU]. What have you learned most from them so far since joining the team?
“They just helped me learn the system. They really took me under their wings and guided me throughout my whole process when I first came here in January, just supporting me, pushing me to my best limit. So I think they did a really good job of taking me under their wings and making me feel very supported.”
What are some things you’ve learned from your dad, [Demetris Nichols], a professional athlete and coach?
“Yeah, my dad, obviously, is very competitive. I’ve always been in a very competitive household, so I’ve always had that in me. My dad sees both sides of what being an athlete is, the coaching side and the athlete side. So he just gives me tips all the time. He’s really helpful. My mom is one of my biggest supporters. She played basketball in high school, but she is just as helpful as my dad is. And I just owe it all to my family for supporting me through everything that everybody doesn’t see on the court.”
You moved to North Carolina halfway through high school. What was that experience like? What was the volleyball like down in North Carolina?
“It was great. I didn’t play high school ball in New York, because the season overlapped with club. So getting the opportunity to play for my high school was really important and big to me. I had a really good coaching staff and team there. We made it to the regional finals. I also moved clubs and played for Triangle [Volleyball Club], which helped me in [significant] ways for my success and just stepping stones. Obviously, my foundation has been VolleyFX [in New York], but Triangle definitely helped take me to that next level.”
Is there a reason behind why you chose to wear No. 8 this season?
“Eight was my dad’s old number when he played.”
What stands out to you on film about Kentucky?
“They’re good all around. They’re just a strong, competitive team. Obviously, they went to five with Nebraska, so we definitely have our work cut out for us, but I think we can do it.”
What are some things you enjoy most about playing for this coaching staff?
“What do I not enjoy? I mean, what’s not to enjoy about being coached by, in my personal opinion — I might be biased — but the best coaching staff in the world. Obviously, playing for Katie and [Megan Hodge Easy], two Penn Staters who came before me, I do not take that lightly. It’s an honor to be in the gym with them every day.”
What do you admire about Megan, watching some of her highlights as a player?
“Megan is just one of a kind. One-of-a-kind coach, person, player, just all around a great human being. But, obviously, seeing her highlights, it’s nothing short of inspiring.”