Penn State women’s volleyball held its 16th weekly media availability of the 2022 season Tuesday evening before practice at Rec Hall and its flight to Madison, Wisconsin, for Thursday’s Sweet 16.

Head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, sophomore defensive specialist Cassie Kuerschen, and senior pin hitter Zoe Weatherington answered questions ahead of the No. 4 seed Nittany Lions’ anticipated third matchup of the season against the No. 1 seed Badgers.

Kuerschen is third on the team with 235 digs in 32 matches so far this season, including seven starts. She also has 29 assists and 22 aces — good for fifth among Penn State’s servers. Kuerschen is averaging 1.99 digs per set and has seven more digs than the Nittany Lions’ next-closest defender, Gillian Grimes, who currently has 228 as a freshman.

Weatherington is second on Penn State’s offense with 294 kills and is among five Nittany Lions to play in all 33 matches so far this season, including 21 starts. Weatherington, who’s from Charlotte, North Carolina, and Kuerschen, a Knoxville, Tennessee, native, routinely sub in and out for each other during matches. Weatherington also has 90 total blocks, 42 digs, eight assists, and two aces in 2022.

After not participating in Penn State’s senior night festivities following a 3-2 win over Purdue in the regular season finale November 25 at Rec Hall, Weatherington confirmed Tuesday that she will be back with the Nittany Lions during the 2023 season, electing to use her fifth year of eligibility granted to her by the NCAA after transferring in from Utah this offseason.

No. 11 Penn State (26-7, 13-7 Big Ten) is the only team in this year’s Sweet 16 to feature a first-year head coach like Schumacher-Cawley, who led the Nittany Lions to their 42nd straight NCAA tournament appearance. They are the only program to make all 42 tournaments since 1981.

Wisconsin (27-3, 19-1 Big Ten) won its fourth straight Big Ten title before sweeping Quinnipiac and TCU opening weekend to set up Thursday’s regional semifinals at UW Field House. Penn State played much better in its second match against the Badgers this season, a narrow 3-2 loss November 19 at Rec Hall. Wisconsin swept the Nittany Lions September 30 in Madison.

Editor’s note: A sizable amount of reporters, including a local TV station, attended this week’s media availability. The transcript of questions and answers, lightly edited for clarity, can be found below.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley

How do you think you match up with Wisconsin?

“Wisconsin’s a phenomenal team. They’ve been playing really well. We’re excited to have another shot at them, and we’ll give it our best.”

How important is it to have that familiarity with a Big Ten team like Wisconsin?

“I think getting to see them in the league twice, obviously, we get to see them play a lot. I hope that will help. Using film and extra practices this week is going to be really helpful. We’re looking forward to it.”

Being a former player yourself, what advice would you give your players about the atmosphere that comes with a Sweet 16 match?

“I think just to embrace it and enjoy it. It’s hard to get to the Sweet 16. I’m proud of the group. I think, for me, it’s enjoy all these moments, be present, and really enjoy each other.”

They’re managing the pressure of the NCAA tournament and they also have finals week coming up. How are they handling all of that?

“They’re doing a great job. Our academic advisor, Jim [Weaver], is actually here today to see them. They’ve been re-arranging their exams and taking a few early. They’re great athletes and great students.”

What impresses you about Wisconsin’s Sarah Franklin?

“She’s a big-time player. She’s a really aggressive attacker, and just has a big presence on the floor. I think she’s a great player, and she’s done some really nice things this year. We’re excited to see what we can do.”

What does it mean to you to be able to coach this group?

“It’s been a blast. It’s been a challenging year, but exciting and fun. I’m really proud of the team and how they’ve worked together and come together since the summer on. I’m proud of them.”

What makes Wisconsin so difficult to play against?

“I think, player-for-player, they’re physical. They’re coming off of a championship. I think, sometimes, when you have that little swag in you, it’s a confidence thing. I think we’re feeling pretty good about ourselves, and played well last weekend. We have one more practice here in Rec Hall before we leave.”

It’s tough to keep beating the same team over and over again. What are you telling your team? Wisconsin beat you twice in the regular season, but you’re both really good teams.

“Everyone keeps saying that, but I don’t know. I think they’re a great team. We’re going to have to play our best match to beat them and advance. I’m confident that the girls have been doing what they can this week to prepare. Like I said, we have one more practice here, and we’ll get to Wisconsin and practice there tomorrow.”

Allie Holland, Leisa Elisaia, and Kash Williams were named to the AVCA all-northeast region team. What stands out about them?

“I’m happy for them. I’m happy that each of them have improved tremendously this season and have worked really hard. I think those awards are very nice. I know that they’re grateful for their teammates in putting them in that position. I’m happy for them.”

Your team’s shown resiliency time and time again. You dropped the first set against UCF and then won three straight. How important is that ability to bounce back when things don’t go your way?

“I think it’s just to be patient, to stay aggressive, to trust their skills, and what they’ve been doing in practice. I think that they’ve been pretty steady in being able to fight back and earn points and stick to the game plan.”

How important was it for the younger players to get their first NCAA tournament matches under their belt last weekend?

“I think any match in the NCAA tournament is huge. I think for, not only the young players, some of the older players hadn’t been in the NCAA tournament, so I think obviously playing at home really helped us this weekend and had them feeling good about what they were doing. Now, you hope to win and keep advancing.”

We’re going to be talking to Zoe Weatherington and Cassie Kuerschen today. They routinely sub in for each other. What stands out about them?

“I can’t say enough about both of them. They both have put in the time and the extra work to get where they are this season. I think Cassie’s playing some of her best volleyball. I think Zoe these last three to four weeks has really stepped it up. She’s on a whole other level. I know she’s excited about this weekend.”

From your perspective, what makes Penn State different from any other team in this year’s tournament?

“I think it’s the Penn State name, the Penn State brand. It’s what Coach Rose has built here. With the seven national championships, I think these girls see that and see the players who have come before them, and feel that they owe it to the university and the program to give it their best.”

Taking over for such a legendary coach, how do you feel your first season has gone?

“I’m happy. I’m happy that we didn’t screw up not going to the tournament for the 42nd year in a row or whatever it was. It’s been great. It’s been challenging, but really rewarding. I couldn’t be happier being here at Penn State.”

How would you describe the overall experience of hosting opening weekend for the first time since 2019?

“I think that being able to play at home here at Rec Hall is something you play for all season. The fact that we won some matches here at the end of the Big Ten season, I think that kind of separated us and let us host. It was great.”

How have you seen Alexa Markley and Gillian Grimes grow in confidence throughout the season?

“I think, as freshmen, it’s hard to play in the positions that they’re in, but they’ve embraced it and have gotten a ton better. Even their tough matches, they didn’t quit. They kept grinding away and learning to get through the tough times. I’m super happy for them and what they’ve accomplished.”

Going back to the academic side of things, do you find the players’ professors to be accommodating of their busy travel schedule?

“I think our girls go out of their way to make sure their professors know who they are. You have to go to class and do the things that are expected of you. I think when they’re missing class, they’re always staying on top of their work. I think the professors here are really supportive of the girls.”

I realized I never asked you about the team wearing Elena Delle Donne’s signature Nike sneakers. What does it mean to the team to have that opportunity?

“It’s special. I don’t think there are any other schools doing that right now. The fact that we were able to be the chosen school to do that, it’s awesome. The girls love her shoes.”

As a former basketball player yourself, have you watched her play in the WNBA the last few years?

“Yeah. I’m a lot older than her, but she’s a great athlete, a great person, and really wants to make changes for women in athletics.”

What are some things you want to see from your team in practice today and once you get out to Wisconsin?

“Just the continued effort and energy. I’ve been telling them the last couple weeks, ‘The teams that get better right now will win some matches.’ I stress every day to come in here and work on something, and that they have to get better.”

Cassie Kuerschen

What stands out to you about Wisconsin?

“I think we have a good matchup. I think our last match really showed that. We definitely have the ability to beat them. We just have to show up and give it our best and play our best game.”

Are you guys looking for revenge now that you get a third chance at them?

“Yeah, definitely. I think we’re ready to get some revenge and do really well and prove everybody wrong.”

What impresses you about this year’s team and the grit you’ve shown?

“I think we’ve done a really good job just bringing it all together. We brought in a lot of new pieces, and the ability for us to all work really well together is pretty impressive.”

How has the team been able to grow the way you have during Coach Katie’s first season at the helm?

“I think we’ve worked really hard. Every day, we come into practice and we want to get a little bit better every single time. We’ve really done that this year. In every single practice, we’ve focused on one specific thing and gotten better at it.”

Wisconsin has one of the better attacks in the country. How important will the defensive specialists’ roles be in terms of limiting them?

“We have to just grind it out. We play against the best hitters every day in practice, so I think we’re ready for it, and we’ve been working really hard on it this week. We’re excited. That’s what we thrive on, and that’s what we love to do.”

How did the matches against UMBC and UCF prepare you guys for the Sweet 16?

“I think they were both good matches. I think we learned a lot and we were able to see what we need to work on, so that was really nice to get a warm-up going into the much tougher matches.”

You guys have the pressure of the tournament and also have finals coming up. How are you managing all of that?

“Tough topic, honestly. It’s going. Everyone here is really supportive and helps the student-athletes to do the best that we can and succeed, both on the court and off the court, so everyone’s been helping us. I have a bio lab final, an organic chemistry final, and a biology final, but it’ll work out. All the teachers are super understanding. I think it just depends on the classes. Most of the professors I’ve had are super understanding, so that’s helpful. I just try to focus on getting ahead of everything. There’s so much, it can become overwhelming, but as long as you stay on top of it, you’ll be okay. Jim Weaver helps us with that every single day.”

You routinely sub in for Zoe. What stands out to you about her?

“I love Zoe. I think she always has a smile on her face, and I think she brings really good energy to the court. She makes huge plays when we need big plays, and that’s really important. She carries a huge load. It’s really helpful for us.”

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

“I think just being more confident in myself, especially my serve-receive game, and being more disciplined on defense. I think, all around, my play has gotten better. I focus on the little details more and more each day.”

How have you seen Gillian Grimes improve throughout the season?

“Gillian’s very impressive. Ever since the day she got on campus, we’ve all been impressed by her. I think she’s gotten more confident and more comfortable in her role, and who she is as a player. She’s gotten better every single day.”

How about Alexa Markley playing as a freshman as well?

“Alexa’s been awesome, too. I think all of our freshmen have done really well, and carried a huge load that’s hard for freshmen to do. Alexa has done really well. She’s getting better every single day, too. She’s taking big swings in big moments. It’s paying off for her.”

How has the connection between you and the other defensive specialists grown this year?

“We’ve all gotten way closer. I think that’s helpful for us to have that relationship with each other. It helps us perform on the court better, too.”

What are some things you miss about Tennessee when you’re away at school?

“The weather. The winter weather is pretty tough here. I haven’t gotten the worst of it yet, so I’m thankful for that. But yeah, Tennessee in the winter is nothing spectacular at all, and I enjoy that. And my family and friends, obviously.”

How many times have you heard the song “Dixieland Delight” by Alabama in your lifetime?

“Oh, my goodness, way too many. Especially this year. This year is at an all-time high because Tennessee has been doing so well in football. It makes me think of home. It’s nice to hear it. It never gets old.”

What did your family tell you about Tennessee beating Alabama at home? I remember you said they would be attending the game.

“They were all about it. They loved it. I have a hate for Alabama, too. I think it’s just bred into you growing up in Tennessee, so yeah, they were all for it. My brothers were going crazy.”

Who are some coaches who really influenced you before getting to Penn State?

“I think every single coach who I’ve had has been a big influence. Definitely Mike Lingenfelter and Alyssa Lingenfelter from Munciana, my coach [Jason] Hames at K2 [Volleyball Club], and everybody at K2. My high school coaches. My middle school coach just reached out to me. Going all the way back to the beginning of volleyball, everyone’s fed into me so much. It’s really helped me grow as a player.”

What does it mean to you to have such a large support system?

“It’s awesome. It definitely makes the hard days feel way less hard and much more worth it, having so many people who are just always there for you and helping you every step of the way.”

Zoe Weatherington

What are you most looking forward to about this matchup against a difficult team like Wisconsin?

“We’re pumped. It’s hard to beat a team twice already, and we’ve played them twice, so they’re going to struggle with us. I’m excited because we’ve been preparing a lot, and we’ve been anticipating this matchup for a while now. It’s going to be quite the match.”

What does it mean to you to be able to play in the Sweet 16?

“I’ve been the Sweet 16 once before [at Utah]. It’s just nerves at first, but then it turns into adrenaline. I’m super excited to just be back on that big stage. There aren’t many people who get the chance. I just can’t wait to be there.”

How do you match up with Wisconsin?

“You bring your all. They’re a great team. We’re a great team. We’re going to get in practice today and we’re going to work on some things, but when we get there, I’m expecting everything to come together and just have a good match.”

What makes them so tough to play against?

“I think they have a great offense, great defense. They’re just an all-around solid team, but I know that we are, too.”

Tickets sold out within five minutes for the Wisconsin regional. What are your thoughts on that? What kind of Penn State support do you think will be there?

“That’s news to me. First of all, my parents are going to be there, so that’s enough crowd for me already. I’m excited to have our band there and to have other Penn State fans there, because Penn State fans are unlike any fans in the world, so I’m excited for that.”

How are you managing your time with the last week of classes and finals coming up?

“It’s all about, like you said, time management and prioritizing school work first, early in the week, so when later in the week comes, you don’t have too much to deal with. Most of the team has been at the library studying. We’ve all had our little study groups and stuff. Good grades and then good play. All my professors have been great. I sent them emails way early in advance to prepare for this moment, because I always anticipated we would go far in the tournament anyway. I let them know at a very early point in the season that I might miss a few days, but I’ll always be caught up with the work.”

Do you have any finals this semester?

“I do. Most of mine are papers because I’m a sociology major, but I’ve already ironed that out and studied for those. Now, I’m just ready for the match.”

How do you think studying sociology has helped you as a teammate?

“That’s a good question. I think that it’s helped me get to know my teammates better. I’m very interested in other people’s behavior and how cohesive one unit of people can be. I’ve been able to explore that with my own teammates.”

You mentioned playing in the Sweet 16 once before. Have you given any of your teammates advice about it, especially some of the younger ones?

“Yeah. You just have to know that it’s all about us. It’s all about what’s going on on the court and kind of blocking out all the other distractions. I know Wisconsin fans bring a lot of energy, and they’re pretty aggressive with the heckling. But we have so much going on on our side of the court. It’s time to focus on just the 16 of us.”

How has your connection with Leisa Elisaia grown throughout the season?

“It’s gotten better and better every day. I trust her, and she trusts me. It’s been great, because she gets the ball to me, and I deliver for her.”

How have you seen Alexa Markley improve as a player this season?

“She’s just a ball of energy. She has that quickness to her that is very helpful in certain situations. It’s nice to have a fresh freshman, you know, to get out there and give us new energy that we didn’t have before, so that’s awesome.”

How has the energy of your defensive specialists positively impacted the team this season?

“I think they’ve been great. Cassie [Kuerschen] and Maddy [Bilinovic] have amazing energy. So does Gill [Grimes]. I mean, you guys probably saw it in our photos. They’re really yelling for us and really cheering us on. When they work for us, we have to work for them.”

You routinely sub in for Cassie. What stands out to you about her?

“She just does what she needs to do. She does her job. She is very aggressive when it comes to wanting the ball to come to her. We have a good relationship, because we trust each other to do our jobs on the court.”

What’s your pre-match routine look like?

“I have to take a nap first, then listen to some music, and just be around my teammates to get ready to be on the court together and pull off something great.”

What kind of artists do you like to listen to?

“I’m a hip-hop and R&B kind of girl, so a little J. Cole, a little bit of SZA, maybe some Ari Lennox in there. Definitely some Lil Uzi Vert. “Just Wanna Rock” is my song this season.”

What motivates you to succeed, work hard, wake up early, and all that?

“Volleyball. I’ve been in love with the sport for a long time. It’s never hard to come into the gym. It’s always something I look forward to doing every day, so it’s not that hard for me.”

How has the coaching staff helped you improve this season?

“By being very easy to talk to. Not just having easy conversations, but hard conversations. I’m able to have great conversations with Katie about things that I might be frustrated with and things that are going well, too. She’s always looking for feedback, and she’s always giving feedback. It’s nice to have a relationship with a coach who I can trust, who’s also been in my shoes before, because she played here, so that’s always been great.”

Since you didn’t take part in the senior night festivities, is it safe to assume you’re coming back to Penn State next season?

“Oh, yeah. I’ll be here in Rec Hall 365.”

What are you most looking forward to about having one more crack at college volleyball?

“I’m looking forward to setting new goals, and just looking forward to seeing what the team next year looks like. I’m just grateful to be a part of a program like this, where I can still get better and better, and have another year. I know COVID was hard for everybody, but it brought me another year of volleyball, so I can’t really be disappointed about that.”

You serve sometimes. What goes through your head before a serve in a tough environment?

“Absolutely nothing. Sometimes, you have to go off of some muscle memory there, and you just have to trust yourself, and trust your reps that you’ve been taking in practice. You look over [to the sideline], and we talk about zones that we serve to. You just have to trust yourself.”

How important is the serve-pass game and just serving tough, in general?

“It’s critical. It’s critical to winning a match. It defines exactly what is going to happen in a game. Serving and passing are probably two of the most difficult things to do on the court. We focus a lot on that in practice. I’m looking forward to what comes out in the game this weekend.”

What kind of challenges does Sarah Franklin present for you guys?

“She’s a great player. I’m going to be matched up with her most of the time, so I’m excited to demonstrate some of the things I’ve been working on in practice with blocking, and so is the defense. We’ve been working all week to prepare ourselves to face them.”

What are some of the keys to being a good blocker?

“Just getting your feet there, being on time, and in the right place.”