Penn State Volleyball Sweeps Colgate, Camryn Hannah Leads Offense

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

No. 14 Penn State women’s volleyball swept Colgate Saturday afternoon at Rec Hall thanks in large part to a dominant outing from senior pin hitter Camryn Hannah, who had a match-high 12 kills and hit .611 against the Raiders.

Senior outside hitter Jess Mruzik reached 1,000 career kills on her second of the match. She finished with six on the day and hit .417 after recording 21 kills the night prior in a 3-1 win over No. 22 Western Kentucky. Mruzik added three digs, two total blocks, and one of Penn State’s four aces. Maddy Bilinovic, Cassie Kuerschen, and Anjelina Starck had the others.

Box Score

Katie Schumacher-Cawley let graduate senior setter Ally Van Eekeren run the offense the second half of the match, as she and starter Mac Podraza both finished with 12 assists in the win. Van Eekeren also had three digs and a kill, while Podraza had three total blocks on an afternoon where the Nittany Lions owned a 9-2 advantage in that stat category.

Allie Holland and Taylor Trammell both played error-less volleyball Saturday afternoon, tallying six and five kills, respectively, while making their usual impact defensively at the net. Holland had a match-high five total blocks to bring her season total to 24 — four more than Trammell, who had three against Colgate. Zoe Weatherington had four kills, Starck had three, and Kuerschen and Alexa Markley had a kill apiece.

Penn State played its most well-rounded match offensively in the win, hitting .341 as a team, including consecutive .400-plus efforts in the first and second sets. The Nittany Lions held Colgate to a .061 hitting percentage and had 10 more digs than the Raiders (34-24). Bilinovic made her first start of the season at libero after taking over the off-color jersey from sophomore Gill Grimes before the second set last night against Western Kentucky.

Bilinovic led Penn State’s defense with eight digs, while Grimes recorded six, Kuerschen added five, and Lina Perugini had one for the second match in a row after making her Penn State debut against the Hilltoppers. Schumacher-Cawley and her staff used more substitutes than they did in previous matches, with seven players coming off the bench Saturday, including senior Macy Van Den Elzen, who made her season debut.

The Nittany Lions (2-2) return to Rec Hall to close out their portion of the Penn State Invitational Sunday at 2 p.m. when they face James Madison. The match will be streamed on Big Ten Network Plus. Penn State travels to Temple (5-1) and Louisville (5-0) next Friday and Sunday.

The Dukes (4-1) swept Western Kentucky Saturday morning for their third straight win after being swept by Ohio at home on August 26. They also have wins over High Point, Van Eekeren’s alma mater, UMBC, an upcoming opponent of the Nittany Lions on September 15, and Colgate.

All three commitments from Penn State volleyball’s 2025 recruiting class were in attendance for the match, including outside hitter Marin Collins, libero Lexi Gin, and middle blocker Gabby Nichols.

Schumacher-Cawley, Hannah, and Kuerschen met with the media following Penn State’s sweep of Colgate. The transcript of questions and answers can be found below.

Cam Hannah chats with assistant coach Dan Gwitt after subbing out of the match.

Schumacher-Cawley’s opening statement:

“Thanks for being here as usual, guys. I’m excited for the team. I’m happy we came out and started fast and stayed focused. It’s a great win. Colgate’s a nice program, and they’ll do some great things in their conference.”

What were some of the keys to victory today?

KSC: “I thought we played some good defense. I thought our passing picked up after the first couple points through the first set. I thought they were flying around, digging balls, just being great teammates.”

Cam, you hit .611 today. What was the big difference? Yesterday, you caught fire in that fourth set and you kept it going today.

Hannah: “I think just confidence. Yesterday was nerves I think — the first home game, I’ve never been in this environment before, I’ve never watched a Penn State volleyball game before this. It was a big environment. It was a lot. But I think today, my teammates came in and they put a lot of confidence in me in the beginning, and then I just kind of rolled with it.”

Cassie, how would you describe the play of the defensive specialists so far this weekend?

Kuerschen: “I think it’s been better than last weekend. I think we’ve talked a lot about it during the week and just made a commitment to being all in. No matter where the ball’s at, somebody’s body has to hit the floor. Yeah, much better.”

You talked about how you came out really quick at the start. What was clicking for the team immediately on the court when you got out there?

Kuerschen: “I think we knew what we had to do. We knew we couldn’t slack off against Colgate. They’re a good team. We just knew what needed to be done.”

Coach, are you satisfied with nine blocks?

KSC: “Yeah, I think we can be a little bit better, too, and stay aggressive at the net. It’s something we talk about every day, and they’ve been working hard at it. I think to continue to get better defensively, we have to be a little bit sharper and continue to work on the little things.”

Jess broke 1,000 kills today. How would you describe her impact this season?

KSC: “It’s great. I mean, obviously, she can play the full game. She likes to attack. I think she’s a player who always wants the ball. I’m not surprised she got her 1,000th kill. I’m just happy it’s in a Penn State jersey.”

What are your thoughts on Mac and Ally V today?

KSC: “I thought Mac and Ally V both played well. I think they’re working to spread the offense a little bit and get everyone involved. I think they’re both exceptional setters.”

How important is it to get some backup players a bit of run this weekend?

KSC: “I mean, who knows if they’ll be backup players tomorrow, you know? Everyone has to be ready to go. That’s something I say every day. I know these guys get tired of me saying that, but we have a deep bench, and I want to be able to use them. Whether it’s for a couple points or the start of a set, they need to be focused and be ready to go.”

Question for Katie’s daughter, Shea. What’s it going to be like between your mom and dad tomorrow since your dad’s a graduate of James Madison? What side is he cheering for tomorrow?

Shea Cawley: “Penn State.”

Cam, what was it like playing in Rec Hall for the first time this weekend?

Hannah: “This was so much fun. It’s a completely different environment than what I’m used to. It’s 10 times better. This team makes it so fun to be here, but the atmosphere and the people just make it even better.”

Playing for a Chicago coach like Katie, what kind of added element does that bring?

Hannah: “I think it’s a different relationship, I guess, because I want to win for her that much more.”

Cassie, what are some things you’ve seen the team do well and what would you like to work on moving forward?

Kuerschen: “I think our all-around game can improve. As the season goes on, we have to get better in every aspect, but our passing has definitely improved, our defense, blocking. I think our middles have done incredible this whole weekend. Everything is pretty good. Everything needs to improve.”