# 2024 Penn State Nittany Lions women's volleyball team

The 2024 Penn State Nittany Lions women's volleyball team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2024 NCAA Division I women's volleyball season. The Penn State Nittany Lions women's volleyball team was led by 3rd-year head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. They are members of the Big Ten Conference and play their home games at Rec Hall.

## Season recap

In 2024, Schumacher-Cawley led the team to its best season in seven years, going 29–2 in regular season play and won a share of the Big Ten title after defeating Nebraska in its final conference match. It was the program's 18th Big Ten title overall, and first since 2017. She was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for her efforts. She also coached several players who were recognized with conference awards: Izzy Starck (Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten, All-Freshman Team), Jess Mruzik (Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten), Camryn Hannah (First Team), Taylor Trammel (First Team), Gillian Grimes (Second Team), Caroline Jurevicius (All-Freshman Team), and Ava Falduto (Sportsmanship Award).
Penn State won its 8th NCAA national championship, after defeating Delaware State, North Carolina, Marquette, Creighton, Nebraska, and Louisville. It was the program's 11th championship appearance in program history, and first since their last win in 2014.

## Offseason
### Outgoing departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Maddy Bilinovic | 2 | L | 5'7" | Senior | Independence, OH | Graduated |
| Mac Podraza | 5 | S | 6'2" | Graduate | Sunbury, OH | Graduated |
| Macy Van Den Elzen | 7 | MB | 6'3" | Senior | Macungie, PA | Graduated |
| Cassie Kuerschen | 12 | L/DS | 5'9" | Junior | Mansfield, TX | Graduated |
| Ally Van Eekeren | 13 | S | 6'0" | Graduate | Naperville, IL | Graduated |
| Lina Perugini | 15 | DS | 5'7" | Graduate | Bethlehem, PA | Graduated |
| Zoe Weatherington | 17 | RS | 6'2" | Graduate | Charlotte, NC | Graduated |
| Allie Holland | 20 | MB | 6'3" | Senior | Hilliard, OH | Graduated |

### Outgoing transfers

The 2024 team did not have any pure outgoing transfers. Senior middle blocker Allie Holland and senior libero Maddy Bilinovic both graduated from Penn State and opted to play their fifth year of eligibility (granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 Pandemic) at College of Charleston and Creighton, respectively.

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Previous Team |
| Jordan Hopp | MB | 6'2” | Graduate | Alliance, NE | Iowa State |
| Caroline Jurevicius | OH/RS | 6'2” | Redshirt Freshman | Cleveland, OH | Nebraska |
| Maggie Mendelson | MB | 6'5” | Junior | Ogden, UT | Nebraska |

### Incoming recruits
## Schedule

| Date Time | Opponent | Rank | Arena City (Tournament) | Television | Score | Attendance | Record (Big Ten Record) |
| Regular Season ||||||||
| August 30 6:00 p.m. | at #15 Tennessee | #7 | Food City Center Knoxville, TN | ESPNU | W 3–1 (22–25, 25–16, 25–15, 25–20) | 6,193 | 1–0 |
| September 1 5:30 p.m. | at Temple | #7 | McGonigle Hall Philadelphia, PA | ESPN+ | W 3–0 (25–16, 25–17, 25–15) | 583 | 2–0 |
| September 3 7:30 p.m. | vs. #4 Louisville | #7 | Rec Hall University Park, PA | BTN | W 3–0 (25–15, 25–19, 25–13) | 3,865 | 3–0 |
| September 6 7:00 p.m. | at #9 Kentucky | #7 | Memorial Coliseum (Kentucky Invitational) Lexington, KY | SECN | W 3–2 (19–25, 23–25, 26–24, 25–22, 15–8) | 3,355 | 4–0 |
| September 7 5:00 p.m. | vs. Ball State | #7 | Memorial Coliseum (Kentucky Invitational) Lexington, KY | Not televised | W 3–0 (25–22, 25–21, 25–21) | 145 | 5–0 |
| September 13 8:30 p.m. | vs. Duke | #3 | Rec Hall (Penn State Invitational) University Park, PA | FS1 | W 3–0 (25–9, 25–15, 25–15) | 3,152 | 6–0 |
| September 14 10:30 a.m. | vs. Princeton | #3 | Rec Hall (Penn State Invitational) University Park, PA | BIG+ | W 3–0 (25–15, 25–16, 25–21) | 2,827 | 7–0 |
| September 14 6:30 p.m. | vs. St. John's | #3 | Rec Hall (Penn State Invitational) University Park, PA | BIG+ | W 3–0 (25–19, 25–22, 25–15) | 2,827 | 8–0 |
| September 18 7:00 p.m. | at #1 Pittsburgh | #3 | Petersen Events Center Pittsburgh, PA | ACCN | L 0–3 (15–25, 19–25, 18–25) | 11,800 | 8–1 |
| September 20 6:00 p.m. | vs. James Madison | #3 | Rec Hall (Penn State Classic) University Park, PA | BIG+ | W 3–0 (25–20, 25–20, 25–19) | 2,408 | 9–1 |
| September 22 2:00 p.m. | vs. Yale | #3 | Rec Hall (Penn State Classic) University Park, PA | BIG+ | W 3–1 (25–18, 25–16, 23–25, 25–13) | 2,178 | 10–1 |
| September 25 7:00 p.m. | at #10 Purdue* | #4 | Holloway Gymnasium West Lafayette, IN | BTN | W 3–0 (25–14, 25–21, 25–20) | 2,415 | 11–1 (1–0) |
| September 29 2:00 p.m. | vs. Michigan State* | #4 | Rec Hall University Park, PA | BIG+ | W 3–1 (23–25, 25–17, 25–21, 25–23) | 2,605 | 12–1 (2–0) |
| October 3 6:00 p.m. | vs. Maryland* | #3 | Rec Hall University Park, PA | BTN | W 3–1 (22–25, 25–20, 25–23, 25–16) | 2,209 | 13–1 (3–0) |
| October 4 7:00 p.m. | vs. #11 Oregon* | #3 | Rec Hall University Park, PA | BTN | W 3–0 (25–19, 25–19, 25–17) | 4,606 | 14–1 (4–0) |
| October 11 6:00 p.m. | at Michigan State* | #3 | Breslin Center East Lansing, MI | BIG+ | W 3–0 (25–16, 25–22, 25–16) | 4,170 | 15–1 (5–0) |
| October 13 1:00 p.m. | at Indiana* | #3 | Wilkinson Hall Bloomington, IN | BIG+ | W 3–1 (22–25, 25–22, 32–30, 25–22) | 1,813 | 16–1 (6–0) |
| October 18 8:00 p.m. | at Ohio State* | #3 | Covelli Center Columbus, OH | BTN | W 3–2 (20–25, 25–23, 25–16, 18–25, 16–14) | 3,436 | 17–1 (7–0) |
| October 20 2:00 p.m. | vs. #14 Minnesota* | #3 | Rec Hall University Park, PA | BIG+ | W 3–0 (25–16, 25–20, 25–14) | 4,316 | 18–1 (8–0) |
| October 24 9:00 p.m. | at UCLA* | #3 | Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA | BTN | W 3–2 (25–21, 19–25, 25–15, 19–25, 15–9) | 721 | 19–1 (9–0) |
| October 26 11:00 p.m. | at #16 Southern California* | #3 | Galen Center Los Angeles, CA | BTN | W 3–1 (25–18, 20–25, 25–20, 32–30) | 2,256 | 20–1 (10–0) |
| October 30 7:30 p.m. | vs. Michigan* | #3 | Rec Hall University Park, PA | BTN | W 3–0 (25–16, 25–15, 25–17) | 2,320 | 21–1 (11–0) |
| November 1 6:30 p.m. | vs. Iowa* | #3 | Rec Hall University Park, PA | BIG+ | W 3–1 (25–19, 20–25, 25–17, 25–16) | 3,215 | 22–1 (12–0) |
| November 8 7:00 p.m. | at Northwestern* | #3 | Welsh-Ryan Arena Evanston, IL | BIG+ | W 3–1 (23–25, 25–18, 29–27, 25–21) | 4,908 | 23–1 (13–0) |
| November 9 7:00 p.m. | at #7 Wisconsin* | #3 | UW Field House Madison, WI | NBC | L 0–3 (23–25, 12–25, 13–25) | 7,229 | 23–2 (13–1) |
| November 15 7:00 p.m. | vs. Illinois* | #4 | Rec Hall University Park, PA | BIG+ | W 3–0 (25–23, 25–18, 25–21) | 3,425 | 24–2 (14–1) |
| November 17 2:30 p.m. | at Maryland* | #4 | Xfinity Center College Park, MD | BIG+ | W 3–1 (25–13, 22–25, 25–13, 25–15) | 1,938 | 25–2 (15–1) |
| November 21 6:00 p.m. | vs. #8 Purdue* | #4 | Rec Hall University Park, PA | BTN | W 3–0 (25–20, 25–23, 25–16) | 2,610 | 26–2 (16–1) |
| November 24 2:00 p.m. | vs. Washington* | #4 | Rec Hall University Park, PA | BIG+ | W 3–1 (27–29, 25–9, 25–22, 25–19) | 3,200 | 27–2 (17–1) |
| November 27 7:00 p.m. | at Rutgers* | #4 | Jersey Mike's Arena Piscataway, NJ | BIG+ | W 3–0 (25–12, 25–22, 25–20) | 3,128 | 28–2 (18–1) |
| November 29 5:00 p.m. | vs. #2 Nebraska* | #4 | Rec Hall University Park, PA | BTN/FOX | W 3–1 (25–21, 14–25, 25–22, 25–23) | 6,597 | 29–2 (19–1) |
| 2024 NCAA Tournament ||||||||
| December 6 7:30 p.m. | vs. Delaware State | #2 | Rec Hall University Park, PA (NCAA First Round) | ESPN+ | W 3–0 (25–4, 25–20, 25–18) | 2,516 | 30–2 |
| December 7 6:30 p.m. | vs. #19 North Carolina | #2 | Rec Hall University Park, PA (NCAA Second Round) | ESPN+ | W 3–1 (25–21, 25–18, 20–25, 25–15) | 2,470 | 31–2 |
| December 13 3:00 p.m. | vs. Marquette | #2 | Rec Hall University Park, PA (NCAA Sweet 16) | ESPN2/ESPN+ | W 3–1 (25–15, 25–21, 24–26, 25–20) | 2,914 | 32–2 |
| December 15 8:30 p.m. | vs. #6 Creighton | #2 | Rec Hall University Park, PA (NCAA Elite 8) | ESPN/ESPN+ | W 3–2 (25–15, 16–25, 22–25, 25–20, 15–7) | 3,558 | 33–2 |
| December 19 9:45 p.m. | vs. #3 Nebraska | #2 | KFC Yum! Center Louisville, KY (NCAA Final Four) | ESPN/ESPN+ | W 3–2 (23–25, 18–25, 25–23, 28–26, 15–13) | 21,726 | 34–2 |
| December 22 3:00 p.m. | at #4 Louisville | #2 | KFC Yum! Center Louisville, KY (NCAA National Championship) | ABC/ESPN3/ ESPN+ | W 3–1 (25–23, 32–34, 25–20, 25–17) | 21,860 | 35–2 |
| * Indicates Conference Opponent, Times listed are Eastern Time Zone, Source *Total 2024 Attendance: 161,494 ||||||||

## Awards and honors
### National Honors

National Awards & Honors :
| Player | Position | Class | Award |
| Jess Mruzik | OH | Senior | 1st Team All-American |
| Izzy Starck | S | Freshman | 2nd Team All-American |
| Taylor Trammell | MB | Senior | Honorable Mention All-American |
| Camryn Hannah | OH | Senior | Honorable Mention All-American |
| Izzy Starck | S | Freshman | AVCA National Freshman of the Year AVCA East Region Freshman of the Year |
| Jess Mruzik | OH | Senior | 1st Team All-East Region |
| Camryn Hannah | OH | Senior | 1st Team All-East Region |
| Izzy Starck | S | Freshman | 1st Team All-East Region |
| Taylor Trammell | MB | Senior | 1st Team All-East Region |
| Alexa Markley | RS | Junior | NCAA Elite 90 Award |

### Conference honors
#### Player awards

Conference Awards :
| Player | Position | Class | Team/Award |
| Izzy Starck | S | Freshman | Freshman of the Year |
| Jess Mruzik* | OH | Senior | 1st |
| Camryn Hannah | OH | Senior | 1st |
| Izzy Starck | S | Freshman | 1st |
| Taylor Trammell | MB | Senior | 1st |
| Gillian Grimes | L | Junior | 2nd |
| Caroline Jurevicius | RS | Redshirt Freshman | All-Freshman Team |
| Izzy Starck* | S | Freshman | All-Freshman Team |
| Ava Falduto | L/DS | Freshman | Sportsmanship Honoree |
*Indicates Unanimous Selection

#### Coach awards

Conference Awards :
| Coach | Position | Award | Ref. |
| Katie Schumacher-Cawley | Head Coach | Coach of the Year | |