Team Tampa Bay's Take with Joey Johnston - Leading by Example with PSU's Katie Schumacher-Cawley
A Conversation with Penn State Volleyball Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley
By Joey Johnston
She’s following a volleyball coach legend. That much is crystal clear.
In 43 seasons at Penn State University, Coach Russ Rose’s Nittany Lions went 1,330-229 with seven national championships. They played in 41 NCAA Tournaments (all of them) and at one point had won 109 consecutive matches.
How do you follow that?
Penn State second-year coach Katie Schumacher Cawley, who played for Rose and served four seasons as his assistant, said her job begins and ends with her deep obligation to continue the traditions and legacy of Nittany Lion volleyball.
“Is there pressure? Every day … that’s what you have when you coach volleyball and that would be the same regardless of who the previous coach was,’’ Schumacher-Cawley said.
“I’m honored to be in this position, but I want to win. I want to have the best team in the nation and I want to do it the right way. Every day, I feel like we need to represent everyone who ever played at Penn State and the program in the very best possible manner.’’
Penn State, which was 26-8 and a Sweet 16 team in Schumacher-Cawley’s first season, is preparing for the Road 2 Tampa Bay Volleyball Invitational, the season-opening event Aug. 25-26 at downtown Tampa’s Amalie Arena and USF’s Yuengling Center. Penn State is joined in the field by the Florida Gators, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and home-standing USF Bulls.
When it comes to understanding Penn State’s volleyball traditions and legacy, Schumacher-Cawley has few peers. She was a member of the 1999 Penn State squad, which captured the program’s first national championship. Adding to the legacy, Schumacher-Cawley this summer added Megan Hodge Easy to her staff. Hodge was the 2009 National Player of the Year and helped Penn State win the NCAA Tournament in Tampa (coming from two sets down to defeat Texas in a riveting final).
“Coach Rose always told me, ‘Be who you are and always be proud of that,’ and that’s one of many great things I learned from him,’’ Schumacher-Cawley said. “Penn State is such a special place and there are so many people at our university who help you to succeed. I got that help and now I want our players to get that same level of help with their volleyball and their lives.
“I don’t know how many people remember I was on that 1999 (national title) team. You might have to blow some dust off that trophy. I’m sure it helps, but we’re not living in the past. It’s about the players who are in our program now, the ones who want to get down to Tampa and start this season on a good note.’’
Schumacher-Cawley’s presence helped to attract two key transfers — middle blocker Taylor Trammell (who played at Penn State last season after shifting from Purdue) and setter Mac Podraza (in her first Penn State season after playing at Ohio State).
Trammell and Podraza are serving as the Tampa Bay Sports Commission’s NIL Brand Ambassadors. They will promote the TBSC brand, its social impact initiatives and its commitment to the growth of volleyball.
“Coach Katie is my biggest motivator,’’ Trammell said. “She was always in my corner and I had a situation most transfers can only dream about. She makes me want to be better.
“Every player should have a coach like her in their life. We want Coach Katie to get all the glory she deserves. That’s why we’re so super motivated to do well in Tampa, then come back to Tampa in December (for the NCAA Volleyball Final Four). Coach Katie needs that title — and so do we.’’
Podraza said changing programs as a setter can be nerve-wracking, but Schumacher-Cawley has put her at ease.
“She has incredible credibility,’’ Podraza said. “She knows what it’s like to compete for a national championship and win it. She’s a very good role model for all of us.
“She’s the kind of coach who not only teaches you about volleyball but also about life. Hopefully, for the rest of my life, she can be a mentor to me because she represents everything that is good about Penn State volleyball.’’
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