The Penn State women’s volleyball program held its third weekly media availability of the 2024 season Tuesday afternoon at Rec Hall before getting on the road for its Wednesday match against Pitt at the Petersen Events Center.

Head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley and fifth-year senior outside hitter Jess Mruzik discussed Penn State’s season so far and what the No. 3 Nittany Lions (8-0) will need to do to be successful against the top-ranked Panthers. Wednesday’s match will likely set a new Pitt program record for attendance given the stakes of this latest showdown between these two in-state rivals.

Mruzik was named MVP of the Penn State Invitational last weekend after leading the Nittany Lions to a trio of sweeps over Duke, Princeton, and St. John’s. Mruzik was able to rest up for most of Saturday morning’s match against the Tigers, but she still finished with 27 kills and 15 digs for the tournament. Her ability to play six rotations will be important against the Panthers, who recently nabbed the No. 1 spot in the AVCA poll for the first time.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley

What are you most looking forward to about playing a big in-state opponent?

“I’m excited for the team. I think it will be a great atmosphere. I know a lot of their families are coming and friends from school. I don’t think you [usually] get to have a matchup like this so early in the season. I think it’s exciting. I’m excited for the team.”

There was a lot to be impressed about from last weekend. You guys didn’t drop a set and were able to get the whole team in against Princeton. What were your main takeaways from the tournament?

“It was nice to see everyone play. I thought we got better as the matches went on. I thought our serving was really good. I thought Gill [Grimes], Ava [Falduto], and Anj [Starck] — I thought our passing was really good [last] weekend. That lets Izzy [Starck] create. I think everyone had kills. I just think it’s a total team effort. I think when everyone does their job, we can be pretty good.”

It’s expected to be a sell-out crowd. How do you prepare the team for what is likely to be a hostile environment?

“I think this team thrives off of that. I think they really enjoy it. I think, from Tennessee to Kentucky, those were all great crowds and loud. I think they enjoy that atmosphere. Obviously, at Rec Hall, it’s loud, but everyone likes us at Rec Hall. I know that will be a little different. But I think we’ll have enough fans there to support the team. I think they’ll enjoy it.”

What’s the schedule like and what’s the mindset like tonight once you get to Pittsburgh to prepare?

“We’re going to do some film here before we leave. We’ll go to dinner right when we get to Pitt and then we’ll do a team stretch, maybe a bit more video tonight, but we have practice tomorrow morning at 10. We’ll practice, the girls will have a little bit of time in between to do homework, we’ll have lunch, and then we’ll do film and pregame meal. Pretty much once that starts, it’s close to time to leave for the gym. They’re pretty busy. We’ll get there a little bit earlier. Usually, we practice here and we go a little bit later, but we just had a couple small-group sessions today. We’re going to get out a little bit earlier, get there, and have a nice dinner.”

What are your thoughts on what should be a great setter matchup between Izzy [Starck] and [Rachel] Fairbanks?

“I think both setters are exceptional. I think the experience Fairbanks has, going to Final Fours and winning, what she’s accomplished is excellent. I think she’s a great leader. I think she’s a fun player to watch. It will be quite the matchup.”

How much can you guys take from the two spring exhibitions that you had with Pitt? How much of that still translates over even now five months later?

“I think it was great to play them. I think they had a couple players who were injured. I think their lineup might look a little different. I know they’ll compete. I think they’re a great team. We’ll have to play our best and stay focused. I think it’s always fun to play Pitt. It’s something we should do, being this close.”

What’s it like coaching sisters?

“It’s been great. They’re really good to each other. They’re best friends. They’re really competitive, but in a positive way. I’m happy for them. There aren’t too many people who can say they’ve played a college sport with their brother or sister. I think that they’re really enjoying it and embracing the time that they have together.”

What are scenarios where you’re more comfortable now as head coach of Penn State than you were when you took the job?

“I think you’re constantly learning. I don’t care how many years you’ve been coaching, I think you always have to be learning and trying new things. I have a great staff that’s always wanting to try different [things], and I love it. I think we’ve done a really good job with recruiting. I think we do a great job training players. I think that this team and these 16 girls are proud to be at Penn State. I think that’s a big deal.”

I feel like Caroline [Jurevicius] had a really good weekend. In particular, in that last match against St. John’s, she played really well. For her, being a redshirt freshman, this being her first year playing, what are the pros and cons you’ve seen from her so far? What has she done well? What are the next steps that she can continue to take as she gets more reps and experience under her belt?

“I think, for her, it’s getting experience and being in different situations during the game. She hits the crap out of the ball. She’s learning some different shots and moving the ball around. I think that will help her. You can’t just hit one way all the time. I think her blocking is improving. I think that’s a really hard skill and I think that she’s getting better every set with that. I’m excited about CJ. She’s a great worker. She’s focused. She wants to be the best and she’s a lot of fun to coach.”

What’s your relationship like with her dad, Joe?

“It’s great. Joe was a senior when I was a freshman. We all had friends within football and volleyball. I think Joe’s excited to see her here and enjoys watching her. I think he’s really enjoying his time back in State College.”

How important will the team’s leadership be in a tough environment [at Pitt]?

“I’ve been saying the same thing. I think we lean on these seniors a lot to lead. I think they’ve been in situations like that. I expect them to lead the way with that, with the staff. Just to compete. Every point, you have to be focused and be able to regroup if it doesn’t go your way. I think, if we stick to our game plan and we can execute, we should find some ways to score.”

It didn’t go your way when you guys were last there [at the Petersen Events Center] for the 2021 NCAA tournament. Does that leave a sour taste in your mouth?

“Yeah, for sure it does. Obviously, it’s a totally different team. I think it will be great for them to play in an environment like this, in a big arena. That’s what it’s like when you go to the tournament. I think everything in preseason is learning and getting better for conference [play].”

Playing against Tennessee and Kentucky earlier in the season, how much do you think that’s prepared some of the younger players like Izzy, Ava, and Caroline, who don’t have as much collegiate experience, for an environment like they’re going to face tomorrow?

“Both of those arenas were really big and loud. I think, every time they step on the floor in a different environment, it’s all learning. But like I said, I think this group really enjoys that sort of atmosphere. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do tomorrow.”

Is there anything that’s surprised you in a positive manner about this year’s team so far?

“I think they really work well together and they hold each other accountable. They have great expectations, but I think that they trust each other and trust the staff. I think, when that’s part of it, you can do some really great things.”

What stands out to you about [Olivia] Babcock?

“She’s a monster. She’s an excellent player and high-flier. She’ll find ways to score. We’re just going to have to slow everyone else down.”

And then [Torrey] Stafford and [Bre] Kelley as well. What stands out about them?

“I think they’re a well-balanced team, similar to us. I think we can score all along the net, as they can. I do think it’s going to be a serve-and-pass game. Defensively, we have to make some big plays. I think everyone has to be focused on their job, because I think they’re very talented.”

How valuable is it to have someone with the offensive and defensive versatility of Anjelina [Starck] on the team? I know there are a couple players like that, but what about her specifically?

“We call Anj our Swiss Army Knife, because she does everything. If we need her to play front row, she can play front row. Right now, she’s played a little bit of both, but we want her to be able to pass and play defense for us and, at times, attack out of the back row. I think she does whatever we need her to do. That’s hard to find these days. She’ll take on any challenge we ask of her, because she wants to help the team. She’s unselfish.”

We obviously know Jess [Mruzik] is a great player, but what stands out about her off the court?

“Jess is funny. She’s fun to be around. I think she’s a really caring person. She’s a good person. Players want to be around her, not just because she’s a good volleyball player, but she takes care of the younger kids. She’s always checking on everyone. We’re lucky to have her here.”

Jess Mruzik

What are you most looking forward to about a huge matchup [against Pitt] tomorrow?

“I think it’s just cool that both No. 1 and 3 are from Pennsylvania. I think that’s really cool for the sport of volleyball. I think a lot of people are going to come out and watch, even if you’re not a Pitt fan or a Penn State. It’s just really exciting for the state.”

Are these the types of environments that made you want to come to Penn State in the first place, playing on the road in a hostile environment against a top-ranked team as a top-ranked team?

“Yeah, we always talk, like, being Penn State volleyball, everyone wants to see you lose, just because of the legacy that Penn State carries. Everyone wants to see the downfall of Penn State, so we’re always going to have the biggest crowds. We’re always going to have the most hostile student sections, but we love that and we definitely embrace that here.”

You have the experience of playing in front of those tough crowds. What are you telling the younger players about how to prepare?

“It’s just another match. I mean, the energy and the vibe might be a little different, and the media is going to blow it up, but that’s just how it is. That’s something that we can’t control. At the end of the day, it’s just another game. Just because we’re playing the No. 1 team, that just adds a little bit of hype to it, but it’s still the same sport.”

You played one set in the early match Saturday [against Princeton] and then you led the team in kills in the later match [against St. John’s]. How does the depth behind you allow you to stay rested?

“Yeah, it’s nice to be able to get some rest on the weekend, and it’s nice knowing that, when I step off, the people who come on are going to produce just as much, if not more. It’s awesome having those sets of eyes on the bench, too, while I’m playing, because when you’re playing, you can’t always see everything. It’s nice to have super high-level volleyball athletes on the bench helping me out. It’s a big team effort.”

What stands out to you about Cam [Hannah] and Caroline [Jurevicius]?

“They’re just so powerful and explosive. They hit shots that nobody could ever think that anyone could hit, but they pull them off because they’re so athletic and dynamic. I think their power is really impressive.”

What’s your connection with Izzy [Starck] been like through these first eight matches and getting up to speed with her?

“It’s been a learning curve for us, just because she’s new and I’m a little older than she is, so I’ve been in collegiate volleyball for a little bit longer than she has. But she’s a great learner and she wants to learn. She wants to learn so quickly and she puts a lot of pressure on herself, which I can relate to as well. We’re trying to find the balance of — we still have things to work out, we know that our connection isn’t as good as it can be, which is the most exciting thing, because, right now, it’s still pretty good. We know that it can be better.”

What impresses you about some of the players on Pitt? I know you’ve had experience with some of them in Anaheim, California, [with USA volleyball].

“I played with Rachel [Fairbanks] and Liv [Babcock] in Anaheim. They’re just very high-level athletes and their volleyball IQ is unreal. Rachel is math major, so everything that she does is very analytical. She’s just a really impressive player, but they’re great people, too. I know Dan Fisher over there does a really good job with skill development and developing players from a really young age. They’re a great all-around team, which is why I think the matchup is going to be so exciting, because I feel like we’re both pretty similar in those areas.”

At Big Ten media days, when you said your goal and the team’s goal is to win the national championship, when did you first start believing that? Because we’re seeing that now through these first eight matches, but when was that first apparent to you that, “Okay, this is a team that can actually do this”?

“I think in the spring is when we knew that our goals for this season were going to be bigger than in previous seasons. Everyone’s goal is always to win the national championship, but making it to the Sweet 16 was a great accomplishment for the team last year. We weren’t really flowing as well as could have. We were just, honestly, kind of taking what we could get. But now, we have such a big sense of confidence in ourselves that we know that we can win the national championship, and we know we can go past the Sweet 16 and into the Final Four.”

What do you think is the biggest thing that’s led to that change?

“I think our mindset of constantly being the underdog. Right now, we’re the No. 3-ranked team, but we don’t feel like we’re the No. 3-ranked team. We’re not going into matches knowing that we’re going to dominate every team. We’re kind of playing like we have nothing to lose, because it is still really early in the season, and rankings really, at this point, don’t matter. We’re just playing freely and recklessly, at this point.”

For you guys to win tomorrow, what are the biggest things that need to take place?

“Serve and pass. If we pass well, I think we’re almost unstoppable because of the offensive weapons that we have. Serving well is going to put them out-of-system and make their offense a little bit more predictable, so it’s easier for us to defend. At the end of the day, if we pass, we can beat a lot of really good teams.”

Speaking of some of those passers, what impresses you about Gill [Grimes] and Ava [Falduto]?

“They’re both very feisty and they both want to take as much court as they can. It’s so nice passing next to both of them, because they make my job a lot easier as an attacker. It frees me up a little bit more in the back row. They’re both great to pass next to. They’re vocal and they take care of the ball.”

What are some things you think you’ve improved the most over the course of your college career?

“I would say my passing. That was definitely one of the weakest parts of my game going into college. And I think that’s probably everyone’s weakest part of their game when they go into college. I think my passing has really stepped up. That’s something that I’ve kind of leaned on to be the thing that I can bring to the gym every day. If I’m not attacking well, I know I can rely on my passing.”