Penn State Trio Talks Upcoming Season At Big Ten Volleyball Media Days

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

Katie Schumacher-Cawley, Allie Holland, and Zoe Weatherington represented Penn State at the second annual Big Ten volleyball media days Tuesday and Wednesday in Chicago, Illinois.

The trio had a busy schedule of events at Big Ten Network headquarters, including live TV appearances, a press conference, a photo shoot in their new sleeveless blue jerseys, breakout interviews, social media content, and a special dinner for the coaches and student-athletes Tuesday night, among other activities.

This year’s event was held in a larger space on the ground floor of the Big Ten Network office building. The press conferences at the inaugural event last year were held upstairs in a conference room. There also seemed to be a larger turnout of media this year and more activities planned for the student-athletes. The Big Ten remains the only conference to host volleyball media days, but hopefully other conferences will follow suit next season.

All 14 of the press conferences featuring a coach and two student-athletes were recorded by the Big Ten Network and posted on their YouTube channel. You can watch Penn State’s press conference at the 37:32 mark of the video below. We also posted the transcript of their comments for your convenience.

After checking out what Schumacher-Cawley, Holland, and Weatherington had to say at the podium, you can read the transcript of our exclusive interview with Holland later in the afternoon, where the senior middle blocker touched on a wide range of topics, including new teammates Mac Podraza and Jess Mruzik.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s opening statement:

“I just want to thank the Big Ten, Grace [McNamara], Sue [Maryott], my guy, Noor [Davis], over there for all their support. The Big Ten is special, and we’re super proud to be a part of it. But the support that this conference has for volleyball is unmatched, and we’re so excited for the season.”

Allie Holland: “Again, thank you to the Big Ten, because seriously, I feel like a celebrity. This has been so much fun, and this facility is amazing. I’m super thankful to be here. I’m super excited for the season, and yeah, I’m proud to be here with my girls up here.”

Zoe Weatherington: “What she said.”

Katie, what prompted the interest in the transfer portal during the offseason? You hit it pretty hard and got a lot of roster rebuild. What sparked your need to do that?

KSC: “Well, if you remember last year, we had quite a few as well, because we had several players who didn’t come back for their fifth year. We were on this one-year cycle of having players who were here for one season. We had the scholarship monies and we want to be the best and waited to see who was available and got some really great players.”

Is that a cycle that you see in the future, or have you been hitting the high school ranks harder?

KSC: “This year, we have four freshmen, so I think that will slow down a little bit as far as the transfers go. We always want to get the best players, so I’m hopeful, and I always want players to be here for their entire career. But it’s been a little different these days.”

When you’re talking to transfers, I know some of those came from opponents you played against last year, too. How do you deal with that, where they may be facing the awkwardness of their former coach, former teammates, things like that? How do you deal with that in recruiting them to come join your program?

KSC: “I want them to be in the best position they can be in. We don’t make it weird at all. We want players who want to wear the blue and white and are proud to be Penn Staters and compete and be great teammates.”

What is something that either young, maybe high school, AAU players don’t necessarily think about when integrating with a new setter, and it’s not something that you have necessarily had to play with yet? Open gyms are a little bit like that, but take us behind the curtain a little bit about getting to know a new setter. And, Zoe, obviously, you’ve been with multiple programs now, you can go a little bit into that.

Weatherington: “I think that sometimes players forget that it’s a mutual thing. It’s like developing a relationship. You have to both give. It’s not like the setter has to adjust to you or you have to adjust to the setter, it’s both, and it’s at the same time. Talking to setters and just communicating is a key thing in volleyball anyways, but during games, before games, getting extra reps is always a key, but it’s a mutual thing. It’s never one-sided, because the moment it becomes someone is giving more than the other person, it’s not going to work.”

Holland: “Yeah, I agree with that. It is definitely a mutual relationship, but also I think that it’s super important to be adaptable, and I think going into a new setter, it can be frustrating for the setter, it can be frustrating for the hitter. Maybe you’re not getting the outcome you want in the summer practices, but I think building that relationship, both on and off the court, so you have that ability to talk through it together, then it leads to in the season and at the end of the season you really have it on lock.”

Following up with Zoe, specifically, what was the timeline like? Were you kind of following Penn State’s additions through social media, or was there a group chat about “We got Jess [Mruzik]” or “We got Mac [Podraza]”? How did that all work out for you?

Weatherington: “Yeah, the coaches fill us in with the recruiting and stuff. We’re one big, happy family, so we always talk about who might be a next addition. A lot of us are friends with each other, of course, off the court, and we all know each other, so there might be talk, and if we see someone who we might [know] — hey, send a little text, ‘Saw you’re in the portal.’ But yeah, the day we found out that we got all these new transfers was a day of celebration. Our team just keeps getting more and more talent, and I’m really excited for the season.”

What does Megan Hodge Easy bring to the coaching staff, and how excited are you to work with her?

KSC: “Yeah, I’m thrilled Megan is coming back, her and her family. This will be her first coaching role, and she’s so excited to be a part of the team and back at Penn State. I’m looking for her to continue to be a role model for our players, and obviously her experiences playing will be super helpful for all of the athletes. It’s a great addition.”

Holland: “Yeah, we’re super, super excited. We’re counting the days down until we can have her in our gym with us. She came to visit us in the spring and she was super kind, so I’m very excited for her to be there. And also just having another Penn State icon in our gym is going to be so helpful to us. Having these female, strong athletes who have played at Penn State, one here with me and also Megan, is going to be huge.”

Weatherington: “Yeah, it’s not every day you get a Penn State multiple-time Player of the Year in your gym. I’m hyped.”

Katie, what is the significance of having that third full-time assistant on staff? Yes, there was the volunteer coach previously, but to have it be a paid position full-time, what is the significance of that?

KSC: “It’s a lot of people now, a really big staff, and I think it’s great for the sport. The more people we can get involved in coaching — I’m just really fortunate that Megan is our coach. I think it’s great for the game, and hopefully it continues.”

Coach, going into year two, is there a process for you in just continuing to put your stamp on this program, and what year two is and how it’s different than stepping in in year one, even making the NCAA tournament, the only first-year head coach to do that last year?

KSC: “I was just glad I didn’t screw that one up last year. No, we’re excited. It’s year two, and I think we had a great run last year, and looking forward to what this new group will do. The conference is super competitive, and we’re opening up with a really tough tournament, so we’ll see what we’ve got right away.”

What was the spring like for you having a smaller number of athletes on campus? What were you able to accomplish during that time?

Holland: “Well, the spring is very different than the season. It’s time that you can slow down and work more on skills. We also have a smaller number of players, and I thought that our girls did such a great job handling playing different positions, multiple positions. Since we had such a small amount, I thought they handled it with such grace and class to be able to play multiple positions. But yeah, I’m super proud of the work that we did in the spring. It’s time to build our family, time to spend time together off the court, too, time to relax, see your own personal family. But yeah, I thought it was a great spring.”

Weatherington: “This was my first spring season because of COVID, transfer portal, all that stuff. It was hard. I was definitely whipped into shape, I think, and we did a lot of things for such a small amount of people. I was glad that I got a chance to really mesh with my teammates, because, you know, when you’re thrown into a season, it’s just fast. Luckily, we had a great group last year, but getting to actually slow it down, break things down in the gym, have more time off the court to spend with each other, and really focus on school, I think it was great to finally get that. But I think that with the people coming in, it’s also a big adjustment, because now there are [nine] more people than there were in the spring. I’m just grateful it happened.”

What do you enjoy most about playing for coach, and how have you seen her grow?

Weatherington: “I can go first. I love answering this. I love Katie. She’s definitely like a mom to us. I think it’s really easy to work with her in the gym, because she played in that gym. She won in that gym. She has the experience. I think I have really been able to develop a relationship with her as my coach. It’s so easy to respect her because of the work that she’s done, and how much she respects us as adults and not just babying us and stuff like that. I think she puts a lot of trust in us, and I’m glad that I get another year with her and not just one.”

Holland: “I agree with everything that Zoe said. On the court, she’s keeping us accountable, but there’s a mutual respect. And also playing for a Penn State legend, of course. But off the court, too, I know she always has my back. I know I can go to her with anything. She’s usually my first call other than my parents if I need advice for anything. I know that she’s got my back off the court, and she really has a personal relationship with every single staff member and every single player, which is huge.”

Katie Schumacher-Cawley poses during a photo shoot at Big Ten volleyball media days.

For the players, what’s something you know now as seniors that you didn’t know as freshmen, and what advice do you have for the newcomers?

Holland: “This is going to be kind of a cheesy answer, but stretching and icing. Freshman year, you think that you don’t need it every day, and then you get to be a senior, and you’re like, ‘Dang, I really should have done that a little bit more.’ Also, it’s a long season. I remember freshman year I would be like, ‘Extra work, extra work, jumping,’ all these [things] — and it’s like, ‘Okay, you’ve got to take a breath.’ We have a long season ahead of us. So I think taking care of your body is something that I could go back in time and do more of.”

Weatherington: “I would say, more so off the court, for me, the type of person I am, it’s probably asking for help. I’m pretty independent, so I try and take on a lot of things that there are probably people who are employed for that. But yeah, I think as a freshman, I wish I could tell myself to not try and pile up everything on my own shoulders and ask for help sometimes, because we have a big, especially at Penn State, we have a really, really big support system.”

Allie, you’ve seen a lot of new players come in the past years. How do you work to integrate them into the team culture and keep that consistent as many of the faces are changing?

Holland: “Well, I think it all starts really on their visit and them deciding if they want to come to Penn State. They know what they’re getting themselves into. They know that we’re competitive. They know we work hard, but also we make it very apparent that our team culture is a family. When they come, again, like Zoe said, a lot of these transfers we know from playing against them, from youth camps when we were younger. So I think really communicating to them on their visit, and then as soon as they’re a part of our team, they’re a part of our team. I think that we’ve spent so much time together off the court this summer that we’re going to be able to really build that onto the court.”

Zoe, a lot of these players were in your shoes where you were a year ago. What advice would you give the transfers coming into the program how to integrate and be part of the culture?

Weatherington: “Honestly, once they come into the program, there’s not really much we need to tell them. When they’re on their visits, we don’t try and sell, sell, sell. We tell them what it’s like and let them know what they’re getting into, because if you’re on your visit, I want you to know as a transfer what this program is all about. If you choose and you get here, you’re part of the family. But I would just say that you’ve just got to work hard in our program and you’ll be fine.”

Coach, is there an update on Taylor [Trammell] and having her be potentially a full go for this season and having her back on the court with you guys?

KSC: “Yeah, Taylor worked her butt off this spring. She’s healthy. She’s a competitor. She’ll be ready to go. I’m really happy for her.”

Coach, you’re starting the season out in Tampa. I imagine the goal is to get back there, too. How did those matches come about, and what benefit do you see in starting the season there?

KSC: “Yeah, we were invited to that tournament, and I think it’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of it with those other coaches and teams. It will be competitive right off the bat, and I think that’s what this team will need, and we’ll learn a lot very quickly in the season. The goal would be to make it back down there in December. We’re looking forward to it.”

For the players, what are your thoughts on the Athletes Unlimited exhibition and the pro game in general in this country?

Holland: “I thought that us having the opportunity to do that was so amazing, not only getting to have a chance to showcase what we’ve been working on in the spring and have a chance to have somewhat of a match in the spring, but also them coming the day before, us getting to have dinner with them, us getting to meet these girls who we’ve looked up to for a really long time. I think getting to talk to them and get advice from them was probably the biggest thing I took away from that. And also just getting to see them in action. Seeing some of these girls who I’ve been watching since I was a kid, I was kind of fan-girling. Seeing Morgan Hentz, I was definitely in fan-girl mode.”

Weatherington: “I agree. Being able to play the pro team and sit down and talk to Morgan Hentz about her national championships that she won is not a common experience that every player gets, so I’m grateful about that. I’m grateful that the pro game in the U.S. is growing and becoming more profitable. I’m really excited about that and that we don’t have to rely on overseas leagues, which is also great, but I’m glad that it’s here, too, because volleyball deserves to be on every screen in every country.”

Coach, what are your thoughts on your defensive specialists?

KSC: “Well, we have a lot of them. Hopefully, we’ll be digging a lot more balls. I think it’ll be really competitive. I think Maddy [Bilinovic], Gill [Grimes], Lina [Perugini], Cassie [Kuerschen], Quinn [Menger], [Joce Nathan], they’ll compete. I tell the girls every year, it’s a new season, and I’ll put the best players out there and the best mix, and the goal for all of them is to win, so we’ll do that.”

For the players, what are you most looking forward to about starting camp?

Holland: “I’m excited to be able to have everyone in the gym with us. We’ve been able to work with the team just in open gyms and stuff this summer, but I’m excited to have an official practice and be back and start grinding for the season, because I’m itching to play. Preseason is just one step closer to having our matches.”

Weatherington: “Yeah, with all the talent that we have here, this summer has been great, and being able to do open gyms and stuff, but I’m ready to show the coaches what we’ve been working on, because they haven’t seen us all summer. We have a lot of talent, so I feel like it’s going to be great with a full gym, an even bigger staff, and big family. Just ready to work.”

Coach, you mentioned Tampa. I was curious, in your mind, is it all positives pushing the [NCAA] final back one day, having the two days off? Are there any other kind of aspects to that that you’ve thought about?

KSC: “I mean, the fact that it’s on national TV — if we can’t be happy about that, pushing it a day and messing up some travel plans, then I don’t know what we’re doing. No, I think it’s great. I think it’s going to be a great place in Tampa, and the fact that we’re going to be able to be seen everywhere is truly amazing for the sport.”

Allie Holland interview

Allie Holland models Penn State volleyball’s new blue jerseys that the team will debut this season.

What’s your experience been like in Chicago?

“It’s been so fun. It’s a very quick trip. I flew here yesterday. Zoe and I got to spend the day together. We had some brunch and a nice dinner last night. All day today, I’ve been super busy with all the media, but it’s been so fun. I feel like a celeb.”

What’s it like interacting with the other athletes from the different schools here?

“It’s really fun. We all pretty much know each other already. A lot of the girls I’ve known since I was little. It’s a good excuse to get to see all of my friends, and also maybe make friends with the ones who you know of but you don’t really know personally yet. It’s been great.”

What was your experience like at the U.S. women’s national team open program in Colorado Springs?

“Oh, it was awesome. It was such a good opportunity to not only get a bunch of extra reps, but again, see my friends who play for different teams. And also meet the girls I know but don’t know personally yet. After that, now I have friends from all over.”

What stands out to you about Zoe Weatherington?

“She’s just such a great person. We’re super close off the court, so that instantly is what comes to mind. But also, her arm is a heavy swing. People can’t dig that, so that’s super impressive.”

You’re obviously into fashion. What went into planning your outfit for today?

“As soon as I found out that I was coming here, I was on The RealReal and I was searching. I love Jonathan Simkhai, the same designer who I purchased from for my graduation dress. Once I saw this blazer, I was like, ‘Alright, I’m basing the outfit off this.’ I knew I wanted to go white or blue. As soon as I found my white vintage blazer, I was like, ‘Alright, perfect.'”

I saw you did the Barbie-Oppenheimer double feature the other day. What was that like? What did you think of the films?

“Oh, it was so fun. We saw Barbie first and then Oppenheimer second. I wanted to do it the [other] way, but that’s the only way that we could get tickets for all of us. We all wore pink and had such a good time. Barbie was so good. I was a little emotional during it. It was surprisingly emotional. But I’m going to see it with my mom again tomorrow. And then Oppenheimer was so long and intense, but the most stacked cast. It was so good. I’m going to see that again with my dad.”

It looks like the team has been spending a lot of time together this summer. How important is that as far as just getting closer with one another?

“So important, especially because we have a lot of freshmen and transfers coming in. We’re all super close already just through the summer. We’ve been hanging out constantly off the court and, obviously, during workouts and open gyms, too. We have such a great relationship.”

What stands out to you about the transfers?

“I think they came in and they were ready to work. Lina [Perugini’s] a gym rat. She’s always in the gym. She’s asking everyone, ‘Can you serve at me? Can you hit at me?’ She’s just super impressive. Mac and Jess are seasoned Big Ten girls. It’s super exciting to have them and they experience here. I’ve known them for a while. I’m super excited to have them here. Ally [Van Eekeren] is such a kind person. My first impression of her was she came on campus so kind. We have such a good time together. I got to be in Colorado Springs with her and get a little preview of her sets there, too, which was amazing.”

What are some things you learned during player-led workouts this summer?

“I think that we do a really good job during open gyms and player-led workouts. It shows who are leaders are, but also everyone holds themselves accountable. There’s no one who’s slipping because there aren’t coaches there. I think we do a really good job of working hard even when there aren’t coaches in the gym.”

How do you think you’ve grown in confidence from your freshman year to now?

“I think this is the biggest change that I’ve seen in myself is just being confident in my own skin, let alone my volleyball abilities. I just feel more myself as a person, so I think that that translates really well onto the court. Volleyball is a game of mistakes. I think I used to let those mistakes get to my head a little bit too much. Now, I’m feeling more confident and happy with myself.”

What does it mean to you to take the younger players under your wing?

“I think that seeing the freshmen on campus is super exciting, because I remember back to my freshman year, when the older girls like Jonni Parker, Kait Hord, Gabby Blossom, and all of them took me under their wing. I was fan-girling a little bit for them. Getting to give those girls the knowledge that I wish I had coming into college. We have Catherine Burke, who’s a freshman middle, so we’ve had a really good time working together.”

What stands out to you about Catherine Burke?

“Off the court, she’s hilarious, she’s just so kind, and she’s a really good person, but also on the court, she’s asking me questions all the time. She wants to learn. She wants to talk to me and Taylor [Trammell] and get all that senior middle knowledge, and she’s super impressive.”

What’s your relationship like with Taylor Trammell?

“Oh, we’re super close. Taylor is an absolute beast at the net. I’m always wanting to go head-to-head with her, because I know it’s going to make me better. Her block is insane. So I’m always like, if she stuff blocks me, ‘Hat off to you, Taylor.’ She’s amazing. Off the court, she’s so awesome. We’re big into movies. We go to the movie theatre all the time. She’s always the first person who I text. I’m like, ‘Alright, come to the movie theatre.’ We’re movie buddies, for sure.”

You graduated in three years. What did you study for undergrad and what are you planning to pursue moving forward in grad school?

“I studied geography and I minored in French, then I got a certificate in environment and society. I’m really interested in environmental science and traveling also, so now I’m studying international affairs for my master’s degree. Other than pro volleyball, I see myself working in environmental policy, environmental science, and I would have the capability to be someone who could travel for a company with the French and the international affairs.”

What was your experience like in France this spring?

“Oh, my god. It was the first time I went. I’ve been dreaming of going to France since I was a little girl, specifically Paris. When I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time, I was crying. It was so exciting. Especially because I minored in French, I got to utilize that. I lived with a host family. It just taught me so much about myself. I went alone. It was very eye-opening to spend time by yourself and see how you work in a different culture, but at the end, I was definitely tired and I missed my family, and I was ready to get back to volleyball.”

What are some things you enjoy most about playing volleyball?

“I would say one of the things that I enjoy most about playing volleyball is honestly the little girls who are fans, because that was me. I think back to going to college camps and going to college games and being so excited. I thought that they were all celebrities and they were so cool. Now, with social media, they can be following me on Instagram and seeing that stuff. It’s really my second family, my team, and the people who I’ve met throughout my volleyball career has made it for me.”

How did your relationship with League One Volleyball come together?

“They did a deal with my club, Elite VBTC in Columbus, Ohio, and I got a call from my club director. They wanted me to be the face to kind of tie together my club and League One. It’s been awesome. I instantly said yes, because it was just a great opportunity. I’ve gotten to travel to some youth volleyball tournaments. It’s been great.”

How has NIL been a positive experience for you?

“I think it’s been great. It’s time that we can earn back a little bit from the things that we’re selling with our name and our skills. It’s been awesome. I haven’t been doing too much, because I just like to stay focused on the game, but I’m trying to get more into it this year. I think it’s great. I think the fact that student-athletes can make that extra money is huge, because a lot of us don’t have the time to have a job or have extra money.”

What was the team’s reaction to the new blue jerseys?

“We like them. Lots of girls like the sleeveless because it’s less hot.”

What can you tell us about Karis Willow?

“Well, she’s an Ohio girl, so now we have lots of Ohio girls on the roster. Of course, I love an Ohio girl. She ended her club career at my club for her last year. She’s super young. She’s excited to be on campus. It’s the first time moving away for all these freshmen, so it’s exciting, but it’s also scary at the same time. I think that it’s something where the veterans can step in and kind of help them along the way. But yeah, all the freshmen are great.”

What stands out to you about Cam Hannah?

“I’ve known Cam since I was 15. We’ve been super close. I visited her at her old school. We’re super close, so the second I saw her name in the transfer portal, I sent her a text. I was like, ‘Cam, you’re coming to Penn State. We’ve been dreaming of this since we were 15.’ Ever since she’s been on campus, my friend’s back with me, but also she’s an absolute beast. Her shot range is insane. You think she’s going to tip it short, she’s running up, and then all of a sudden, she chucks it to the back line. It’s very impressive. We’ve been super close for a long time, so having her on campus, I’m very excited about it.”

How’s the competition for libero coming along?

“Really good. All of our DSs are insanely talented. I think that’s what makes us such a good passing and defensive team, because having people competing against each other for the shirt is what makes them better and better and better. It gets to the point where we can almost have two or three liberos in the back row at once, even if they don’t have the shirt on. Our DSs are great. I know that I can look back there and I can trust them to get the ball off the ground or pass a dime, so that we can set middle.”

What are you most looking forward to about starting the season in Tampa and playing against AC Fitzpatrick?

“I’m so excited. Maddy [Bilinovic] and I talk to AC every single day about this. We’re so excited. Also, just getting to go to Florida and get some nice sun. But also getting to preview the facility for the championship, which I plan on being at. I’m so excited to see AC, to get to go to Tampa, and to mainly get to test the facility for the championship.”

What are your thoughts on the pretty impressive non-conference schedule that coach has lined up for you?

“Oh, I’m excited. We get a test from day one, and that’s what I want. I want to be able to get some tests before the Big Ten season starts, which is night after night of playing against top-25 teams.”

How does playing in the Big Ten help prepare your team to succeed?

“Well, the Big Ten is the best conference period for volleyball. Getting to play against these opponents week after week, iron sharpens iron. I respect every single team, and I think that they’re all so great. Really taking it a week at a time, though, because these opponents are so tough. But I think that that sets you up for postseason play unlike any other conference.”

What’s your impression of Mac Podraza and Ally Van Eekeren, the two new setters?

“Oh, they’re great. I’ve known Mac for a couple of years and played against her in high school, too. Instantly on her visit, Mac and I just clicked. We’ve known each other, but not been super close. She came and I remember I called the coaches and I was like, ‘Yeah, Mac and I clicked.’ Ally, she’s just kind. She’s such a kind, funny person. She’s so genuine. She has everyone’s best interest at heart all the time. She wants to be a teacher. She’s really good with kids. Her sets are great. I got to play with her in Colorado Springs, and it was such a nice preview to get to see some of the setting for this year.”

How has being a student-athlete positively impacted your life?

“I think that being a student-athlete has positively impacted my life, because it’s taught me how to manage time, it’s taught me how to be a leader, how to work under pressure, how to work toward a team goal. These are things that are going to take me through the rest of my life, not only with my athletic career, but with my personal life and my professional career.”

What are some things you’ve learned in the NCAA tournament the last few seasons?

“I’ve been in three NCAA tournaments now, which is just a pinch-me moment. But I think that postseason play, it could be anybody’s night. It’s one loss and you’re gone. All these teams that make the tournament, they’re really good. You [take] a couple points off and you’re done. I’m super excited to get the chance to be in the tournament again potentially. Postseason is super fun.”

What are some of your favorite restaurants in State College?

“I think Roots. I’m a Roots girl. I’m vegan, and they have really good tofu there. Also, Otto’s is a fan favorite for me and my friends on the team. Taking our parents there is the best.”

Speaking of the team’s parents, what does it mean to you to have them travel with you on the road and go to all of your home matches?

“I’ve been super lucky. Most of our team has. Pretty much all of our parents come to every single match. I’ve never had a match without my parents there. That really helps you through it, especially deep into the season. It’s tiring flying that many times per week. Getting to see your parents every weekend is major.”

Who are some mentors or youth coaches who have helped you get to this point in your career?

“My club directors, Randy and Jackie Cline, have been huge. I remember when I tried out for club when I was 9, and I cried at the tryout, I was like, ‘I’m so scared.’ They really were the ones who kind of pushed me through the tryout, and now, here I am. I owe a lot to them, and they’re a big part of my life still.”

Quinn Menger was the team’s only setter this spring. How important is her versatility? What does she bring to the team?

“She’s done amazing. I thought she handled playing multiple positions, going from a DS to a setter, with such grace. It’s seriously so impressive. Her setting really is very fine-tuned, and I love hitting off of her. She was in the gym working, even not during practice. You would walk past South Gym and Quinn would be there setting into targets. She’s super impressive.”

What stands out to you about the sophomores, Gill Grimes and Alexa Markley?

“Gill and Alexa are just silly. They’re so hilarious. They’re always making me laugh. I really love them off the court. On the court, Alexa is a sponge. She’s asking questions, she wants to learn. In the games, I’m whispering in her ear, ‘Okay, block line. Now, block cross.’ She wants to learn. And Gill is just a little firecracker. She’s flying everywhere. I know that she’s going to get the ball up in the back row, so it’s super good.”

What’s your relationship like with Maddy Bilinovic?

“Oh, I’ve known Maddy for years. We played against each other in club and we’re both Ohio girls. We went to camps together when we were younger. Now, we’ve lived together for our whole time at Penn State. We’re best friends. She’s one of my best friends in the whole world. I look at her as my family, as my sister. Her entire family I look at as an extension of my family. I love her so much. Every day, I come home, and I know that she’s got my back.”

What impresses you about Anjelina Starck? Where has she improved her game?

“Starck is just such a good passer. That’s the first thing that comes to my mind is you know she’s going to dime the ball, which obviously, I appreciate as a middle. But also she’s just so poised and graceful. She’s not the loudest person you’ll ever play with, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. She’s like a stealthy little snake in the back. She’ll get everything up and she’ll dime every ball. Also, her shot chart is crazy. It’s so good.”

What does Jess Mruzik bring to the team?

“I’ve known Jess for many years. She’s so impressive. Playing against her at Michigan, you had to keep your eye on her the entire match, because she’s popping out of the back row, she’s serving, she’s popping out of the front row. She’s super impressive. Having an outside who can hit so many shots is so great.”

Zoe Weatherington enters her second season with the Nittany Lions and is in the mix to start again at right-side hitter.

Michigan’s Allison Jacobs and Hannah Grant on Jess Mruzik:

Jacobs: “I think one of the most special things about Jess is her ability to be a consistent six-rotation player. I think she brings a great level of serve receive into the game that is special in the Big Ten when you have servers who are coming after you. And they will pick one person, and they will try and tear them down. And she’s also — she can be terminal when she needs to be. She’s a good overall outside.”

Grant: “Yeah, she’s just, like Allison said, I think she’s really solid in all the fundamentals of volleyball. She’s a great volleyball player. I’ve played with her since I was little. I’m excited to see her across the net. It’s going to be a little weird, but it’ll be fun.”

Ohio State’s Rylee Rader and Emily Londot on Mac Podraza:

Rader: “I mean, I think she’s just able to make some smart plays. She also has a huge block, so that’s big as a setter. She’s a tall setter, so she can get a lot of touches on the block. It’s going to be fun playing against her. We’ve known her, we’ve known how she sets, so it’s going to be a fun, competitive game.”

Londot: “Yeah, I think she just runs an offense really well and makes smart decisions, and I can’t wait to hit against her and be on the other side of the net. I think it’ll be a really competitive game, like Rylee said.”

Indiana’s Steve Aird on his time at Penn State:

“Well, I’ll start with the second part of that question. Katie and I are very close. I adore her. I think she’s a phenomenal coach. I think we were both raised from the same cloth, so to speak. I think we had a mentor who modeled some of the things I hope or aspire to be. He worked incredibly hard. He cared a ton for his players. He was consistent. He had a lot of passion and a lot of fire. So obviously that’s a big part of it.

“I was lucky enough to be part of three Final Fours on the men’s side, so a lot of the stuff as a player, my career — I was the best player on the team; I was cut; I was a starting attacker; I was a libero. All of the emotions that they go through, I’ve kind of felt, so I hope with my staff, with Kevin [Hodge], with Rachel [Morris], we’ve all played at a pretty high level, so we understand what it feels like to be in their shoes. I think that’s what Penn State did for me.

“I wouldn’t be here without that institution. I have a lot of love for it. It’s always a hard — it’s the hardest match for me during the year when I go back, because I consider it home in a lot of ways, but the best way to respect the place where you grew up is to go there and compete and win, and that’s certainly my goal and will be my goal as long as I’m coaching.”

Maryland’s Adam Hughes on his time at Penn State:

“Yeah, one of the best things that Coach Rose taught me, and he is uniquely him, and that was the big takeaway that he wanted to make sure that I took with me: You’re not trying to replicate me. You’re not trying to replicate what we’ve done at Penn State. You’re trying to find your own path, find your way, and let you be confident in who you are.

“I have him in the back of my mind at all times when I make decisions, and that reminds me that I shouldn’t just use my past to make the decision because that’s how we did it in the past. I think blocking is a great example of that. We had a different style in how we played and prepared for matches at Penn State, and obviously had a huge amount of success while I was there. But we tried to institute that a little bit at Maryland, and it wasn’t having the same success, and we’ve literally turned 180 and tried a whole different strategy.

“But that strategy is kind of what I’m into, numbers and analytics and details. That’s probably what sticks with me the most is just Russ always telling me, ‘Hey, you’ve got to be uniquely you and be very confident in who you are.’ I admire Katie. I’m sure that challenge is hard for her. She’s probably gotten that same feedback from Coach Rose, and for her to have to chart her own path after that is a really tremendous challenge.”

The Nittany Lions will begin training camp on Tuesday, August 8 before starting their 2023 season with a pair of highly intriguing matches against Florida and Georgia Tech August 25-26 in Tampa, Florida, site of this year’s Final Four. Mac Podraza and Jess Mruzik were selected as preseason All-Big Ten honorees, with Podraza earning a unanimous nod from the conference’s head coaches.

Earlier in the day Wednesday, Schumacher-Cawley, Holland, and Weatherington joined Big Ten Network’s Rick Pizzo for informative interviews about the 2023 season in a pair of live TV segments. You can watch them below beginning at the 25:30 mark of the video.