Katie Hurta announced Saturday afternoon that she flipped her commitment to Penn State women’s volleyball after previously signing a national letter of intent with Indiana in November.
Hurta posted the news on her Instagram account, saying, “I am so excited and beyond thankful to announce that I have committed to play college volleyball at Penn State. Thank you to all of my family, friends, teammates, and coaches that have supported and helped me along the way.”
Hurta, a 6-foot-1 setter/hitter from Palos Hills, Illinois, plays her club volleyball for Adversity and attends Nazareth Academy, where she led the Roadrunners to a 30-7 record and the 2021 IHSA 3A state championship as a senior last fall.
Hurta was named the Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year like fellow Adversity standout and new Penn State teammate Rachel Muisenga, a rising sophomore setter from Wheaton, Illinois, who attended Benet Academy.
Hurta became the third member of Penn State’s 2022 recruiting class, joining Peachtree City, Georgia, outside hitter Alexa Markley and Torrance, California, defensive specialist Mandi Morioka. The trio will arrive on campus this summer after wrapping up their club seasons and graduating from high school. Hurta and Markley earned spots on the 2021 AVCA All-American first team.
Penn State assistant coach Daniel Gwitt recruited Hurta to the Hoosiers while filling the same role on Steve Aird’s staff at Indiana, where Gwitt spent the last four seasons. Katie Schumacher-Cawley named Gwitt and Brian Toron as Penn State’s assistant coaches on January 25, before her introductory press conference at Rec Hall later that day.
The Nittany Lions secured transfer portal commitments from outside hitter Kashauna Williams (Long Beach State), middle blocker Taylor Trammell (Purdue), and outside hitter Zoe Weatherington (Utah) earlier in February.
Hurta’s commitment gives Penn State another setter to compete for playing time with Muisenga and a player who has the versatility to factor in as a hitter if the coaching staff feels she can contribute there.