Penn State women’s volleyball held its 15th weekly media availability of the 2022 season Tuesday afternoon before practice at Rec Hall.

Head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, junior middle blocker Allie Holland, and graduate senior middle blocker Katie Clark answered questions ahead of the No. 4 seed Nittany Lions’ NCAA tournament opener against UMBC Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Rec Hall.

No. 11 Penn State (24-7, 13-7 Big Ten) stayed put in this week’s AVCA rankings after beating Northwestern 3-1 in Evanston last Wednesday and beating Purdue 3-2 Friday on senior night at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions have won seven of their last eight matches heading into the tournament.

Clark and Holland are both having excellent seasons for Penn State, boasting the team’s best hitting percentages at .362 and .320. Holland has 236 kills, 145 total blocks, 71 digs, 29 aces, and 11 assists so far this fall, while Clark has 141 kills, 61 total blocks, 18 digs, and an assist in her final college campaign. Clark shared Penn State’s most recent student-athlete of the week honors with linebacker Abdul Carter.

Editor’s note: A couple of reporters attended this week’s media availability. The transcript of questions and answers, lightly edited for clarity, can be found below.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley

With a group that doesn’t have a lot of tournament experience, how key is the role of some of your leaders like Allie Holland, who’s played in the tournament before?

“I think Allie brings a lot to the table and is aggressive. She had a taste of it last year, but I think being able to be at home is a little bit different. I think they’ll all embrace that.”

What are some of the early takeaways from your film breakdown of UMBC?

“Anyone in the tournament is a good team. I think they play hard. It’s a new coach, Kasey [Crider], who I think has done a phenomenal job with that team. I know him. They play hard. I think they’re really aggressive in all positions. We’re going to have to play well.”

With the adversity this team has had to overcome this year, how important is that resiliency going to be throughout the tournament?

“I think, for us, it’s been a match-by-match preparation, obviously, every day in what they’re doing. The expectation is for them to be doing some things on their own and taking care of themselves. I think they’ve done a really good job of that.”

What do you recall about your recruitment as a player? What schools were you interested in? What was coach [Russ] Rose’s message to you?

“I was fortunate I played on a really good high school team and was seen by a lot of coaches. I visited Michigan and Penn State. My dad played football at Michigan, so that was one of the schools that I grew up knowing and loving. But I think I found the best place for me in coming to Penn State and playing for coach Rose. Erin [Appleman], who’s the head coach at Yale, was my assistant coach when I played here. I’m excited to see her this weekend. Mike Schall, who’s at North Carolina, I mean, I played for some really great coaches and people who were so great to me. I really enjoyed my time here.”

What was your impression of campus your first time here? How has State College changed since you were a player?

“I think it’s the best college town. The fans, the town, everything about it. I grew up in a city, but I think being in this town is special, for me and for my children also, to be exposed to all of these really cool events on campus that they get to go to. I think campus is changing with some buildings and administration and all of those things, but I think Penn State, the name, the brand, and my love for the university will always be there.”

Earlier this month, you said the great teams get better at this point in the season. What are some ways that you guys have gotten better over the course of the season?

“I think our passing has gotten a lot better. I’ve stressed our serving. Every match that we play in, we have to be aggressive serving. I think those are small steps that we’ve taken. I think each player has improved a little bit, so collectively, we can do some nice things, but I think the team’s focus and being able to side out and score points right away have been things that we’ve working on all year and continue to.”

How important is it for your players to be able to take constructive criticism and feedback?

“It’s part of the game, right? The expectation is to come here to Penn State and to be a Big Ten champion, to be a national champion. Those are the expectations. I think it’s about being able to have open conversations with your players, and wanting to know what their goals are, and that you’re going to help them achieve them, but it’s a lot of hard work, and it’s not easy to win. I think being able to stay on track and use all your resources is what I stress to them.”

Allie Holland

What’s the team’s excitement level like heading into the tournament?

“We’re all super excited. It was really nice to hear our name called, especially to be hosting. This is my third year in the tournament, but my first year hosting, so it’s super exciting.”

What emotions does that bring being able to play in front of your fans and have that home -court advantage?

“It’s huge. Not having to fly, not having to bus, not having to be in a hotel, it’s a big advantage, so we’re super excited. But we’re also excited to welcome the other teams here.”

How have you seen Katie Clark improve throughout the season?

“Well, she’s just always been great. She’s such a dynamic player. You can put her in at any hitting position and she’s going to kill it. I’m super proud of her stepping up and taking this role on. I think she’s doing great.”

Where have you seen your play grow the most this season?

“I think that I’ve done a good job at finding ways to score if the hitting isn’t really on. I’m proud of myself that I’ve come a long way with my serve, my blocking, and finding more creative ways to score. But I think that, as a team, we’ve done a really good job of keeping the energy, even though it’s getting into the end of the season and we’re all pretty tired.”

What makes Leisa Elisaia stand out from different setters you’ve played with?

“Well, she just has a lot of experience. She’s great at feedback. We’re constantly talking to each other and what she needs from me and what I need from her. She’s super receptive to feedback, which I think is one of her great traits.”

As somebody who’s played in the tournament before, what’s your message going to be to the team, especially the freshmen, who haven’t played in it yet?

“It’s super exciting just to be able to be in the tournament. It’s something that you dream about in middle and high school watching the tournament. I think the biggest piece of advice is just to leave everything out on the floor. It’s all or nothing right now. If we lose, we’re done. I think it’s just leaving everything out there, and knowing that in a few weeks’ time, we’ll be able to rest.”

How have those difficult Big Ten matches like the home finale against Purdue helped prepare this team for postseason play?

“In postseason play, you’re playing good teams night after night after night, which is pretty similar to how the Big Ten is, so I think that being able to have experience playing top 25 and top 15 teams back-to-back is really helpful for the tournament, because we’ll be seeing that here in the tournament.”

How has following a vegan diet helped you as an athlete?

“I’ve been vegan for many years. I think it’s going on seven now. It’s honestly just my lifestyle at this point. I don’t even really think about it anymore. But it’s definitely allowed me to focus more on my diet and my health. I know what foods work for me and what foods don’t. I think it’s nice to be in tune with the nutritional side of things, but at this point, it’s just my lifestyle.”

Coach always talks about playing in the moment. With the tournament coming up, how important is it to take it one play at a time?

“Oh, it’s super important to think just one game at a time, one point at a time, because in the tournament, again, like I said, it’s all or nothing. We have one chance. If we lose, we’re done. So I think being in the moment is super important, especially because it’s such an exciting time getting to host and being in the NCAAs.”

Katie Clark

What’s the team’s excitement level like heading into the tournament?

“It’s really exciting. Some of us, this is their first tournament. We’re just excited to get in there and compete, give it our best, and go as far as we can.”

What kind of advice do you have about the postseason for your teammates who haven’t played in the tournament before?

“I would say that it’s a whole new season. No matter what happened preseason or during conference, it doesn’t matter. It’s a different season now. Just give it your best and go your hardest every time.”

What are some of the keys for yourself and the team to have success this weekend?

“I think we really talk about communication and minimizing our errors. Making sure we’re always communicating and just sticking together as a team is going to be very important for us.”

How were you introduced to volleyball?

“I played soccer until I was about 15. When I got to seventh grade, there was no soccer team, so they made me try out for the volleyball team. That’s where I met Adanna Rollins and her mom, and they introduced me to club volleyball.”

This is your first time being able to host at Rec Hall during your career. What is that home-court advantage going to be like for you and the rest of the team?

“We have a really great fan atmosphere here at Rec Hall, so I hope that they all show up Friday night. It’s just going to really help get into the other team’s head and give us a lot of support behind our backs.”

How important was it to get that win over Purdue in such an exciting atmosphere last Friday?

“It was really great. Every win in conference is a great win. Just knowing that we got that win and we’re able to host this week has really been exciting. I think our fans really came out that match. We felt them behind us, supporting us, no matter what.”

With the elevated role you took on when Taylor Trammell went out with injury, what was that mentality like saying to yourself that you have to be counted on for the rest of the matches?

“I think that it just was a change in mentality. Every day, I came into practice and was trying to compete. Now, it’s keeping that mentality 24/7 and being able to be relied on all the time.”

What was your senior night experience like?

“It was super exciting to have my parents here. Thankfully, it wasn’t our last game in Rec Hall, but my parents were there supporting me. It’s super nice to have a closure to my last conference season ever and just celebrate that.”

What goes through your mind when you think about the NCAA tournament and everything it brings?

“It gives me chills. I’m such a competitive person. I want to win the whole thing. It just gives me so much excitement knowing that there are 64 teams left, and it’s just a battle to the end from now on.”

What’s your relationship like with Allie Holland?

“I love Allie. I think all the middles are really close. Every day, we come in here and compete and we always bring out the best in each other. It’s really nice to be able to play and compete with them every day in the game, especially Allie.”

How do you think the Big Ten schedule prepared you for the tournament?

“I think the Big Ten, that’s where you get most of your Final Fours and national championships from. Being able to compete all throughout conference against these teams, when you go into this tournament, you’re not scared or anything like that. You’re prepared. You know these teams and are able to battle with them.”

What do you miss most about Texas when you’re away at school?

“I miss my family and my dog, Marley. Being away from them over the holidays, especially since my uncle just got a new dog, it’s hard to be away from them. But having my family at all my games is what I really miss the most.”

What keeps you motivated right now?

“I think it’s more the fact that I’ve never seen my life without volleyball. I’m just really motivated to keep playing volleyball as much as I can, because I’m not ready to say goodbye to it. As long as I keep competing, it just keeps me happy.”

What are some of the differentiating traits about Leisa that make her stand out as a setter?

“I love Leisa. She takes compliments and she takes feedback very well. If you tell her that you need a set some way, she’s very good at telling you and giving you that confident response that she’s going to get you that next ball, to believe in her. She also has a really good volleyball IQ and awareness. She knows the game really well. It’s exciting to see how well she’s performed.”

What sets this team apart from other teams you’ve played on during your college career?

“I would say this team has a very good chemistry and bond. Everybody gets along together. Everybody loves each other. We love battling and fighting as a team to compete. Just being super close with each other and not having to worry about other unnecessary drama has been really great.”

Who are some volleyball players you admired growing up?

“Oh, this is hard, because I didn’t really know too much about volleyball growing up, because I was a really big soccer fan. Once I committed to Penn State, there’s Micha Hancock, Haleigh Washington, Alisha Glass, all the Penn State people. They really inspire me, because they’re Penn State legends. I’ve always wanted to be a legend kind of like that.”