Russ Rose Then (2000): “I thought Katie established herself as one of the best rightside hitters in the conference last year. We need her to demonstrate some added on-court leadership and be able to take a few more swings out of the back row.”
Russ Rose Now (2025): “Katie had a very large competitive streak. And she had a great, great arm. She came from an athletic family — her dad played football at Michigan and her brother played football at Illinois. She was a multi-sport athlete in high school, and probably was more decorated as a basketball player than as a volleyball player. She and Nadia Edwards redshirted in 1997, but the team played against them every day and they made the starters significantly better. And she made great contributions, obviously, in 1999. Katie was never fearful of competition. When I look at what she was like when she was young, and what she is like now, that remains a constant — that she’s not fearful, that she’s competitive, that she’s willing to get in there and get after it.”
2000 Season (Redshirt Junior) Highlights and Awards: Volleyball Magazine All-American … NCAA Tournament All-Region Team … All-Big Ten First Team … Big Ten Player of the Week (10/18).
Season Recap: Played in all 36 matches and in 124 of 128 sets … ranked 2nd on the team with 3.69 kills/set, hitting .255 … averaged 0.90 blocks/set, good for 3rd on the team … averaged 2.35 digs/set, tied for 3rd on the team … totaled 21 service aces, 5th best on the team … needs 159 kills to reach 1,000 in her career … needs 16 digs to reach 500 in her career .. two-sport athlete who joined the Penn State women’s basketball squad as a walk-on in time for the 2000-01 season … recorded double figure kills in 25 matches … led Penn State in kills during 15 matches … led team in blocks on 8 occasions and in digs on 7 occasions … tallied a team-best 10 double-double performances … opened season with 10 kills vs. No. 1 UCLA … posted 12 kills and 14 digs at Florida (8/26) … had a streak of 8 straight matches with double-figure kills from Sept. 16 through Oct. 13 … posted a career-high 25 kills at Northwestern (9/23) … hit a career-best .643 (9-0-14) vs. James Madison (9/9) … tallied a career-best 8 blocks at Michigan (10/7) … named most valuable player at the 2000 Penn State Invitational after averaging 3.56 kills and a .551 hitting percentage over 3 matches … totaled 17 kills and a .424 hitting percentage at Villanova (9/12) … ripped 22 kills at Ohio State (10/20) … sparked a win over Wisconsin (11/11) with 22 kills and a .333 hitting percentage … closed out regular season with back-to-back double-figure kill efforts — 12 at Illinois ( 11 /24) and 13 at Purdue (11/25).
NCAA Tournament: Led Penn State through the first 2 rounds of the NCAA Tournament as she averaged 5.29 kills/game while hitting .377 overall through the opening 2 matches … led squad with 15 kills and hit .407 in 3 game win in tourney opener versus James Madison … also notched 13 digs in
win over the Dukes … paced Lions with a team-high 22 kills and .357 hitting percentage in 2nd round win over Washington State … also added 9 digs and 3 blocks in win over Cougars … notched her 10th double-double of the season with 15 kills and 16 digs vs. Colorado State ( 12/7) … posted 15 kills vs. Southern California in Pacific Regional final (12/8).
1999 Season (Redshirt Sophomore)
1998 Season (Redshirt Freshman)
Before Penn State: A four-year starter in both volleyball and basketball at Mother McAuley High School; captained both squads her senior year; member of the USA Volleyball Youth National Team in 1996 and 1997; Chicago Sun-Times Female Athlete of the Year; four-time Alll-Area and All-Conference selection; led the Mother McAuley Mighty Macs to the state tourney all four years, winning two titles; team was No. 1 in the nation in 1996 and No. 6 in 1997; Daily Southtown 1997 Player of the Year; two-time Chicago Sun-Times and Tribune All Area Pick; Champaign Gazette Athlete-of-the-Year; twice named All-State; four time All-Conference pick in basketball; led team to three state playoff appearances, finishing as high as second; second team All-State and Sun-Times All-Area in 1997; Star 1997 Player of the year for volleyball and basketball.
Katie Schumacher-Cawley — Penn State Head Coach Bio
“Senior refuses to fold,” The Daily Collegian, Nov. 29, 2001
“Schumacher reaches milestone in Columbus,” The Daily Collegian, Sept. 28, 2001
“Double Time Demands,” The Daily Collegian, Jan. 18, 2001
“A family affair for Schumachers,” The Daily Collegian, Oct. 20, 2000
“Setting it all up,” The Daily Collegian, Jul. 29, 1999
