"We need to play better volleyball"- Penn State coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley opens up as defending champs suffer back-to-back defeats

Penn State Volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley made her feelings known after her team faced back-to-back losses in the opening games of the 2025 season. Schumacher-Cawley's side had started the season with victories over Creighton and Kansas at the AVCA First Serve.

However, following this, the Nittany Lions faced a setback and first lost 1-3 against Arizona State, and then fell to a 2-3 defeat against TCU in Pittsburgh. The Nittany Lions are coming on the back of a superb 2024 season that saw them clinch the Big 10 Conference Championships as well as the NCAA Championships.

Speaking about the challenges her team is facing after these losses, Schumacher-Cawley said that the current roster is facing a lack of experience and leadership, especially in the absence of experienced players. She also remarked that her team needs to play better and said (via Nittany Lions Now, 2:41 onwards):

"I think, we had a group of seniors last year that kind of led the charge, and I think this group is slowly finding their voice and who needs to lead and what they need to lead by, and how. We need to be better, that's what it is, but defending the National Championship, I mean, that was last season, and it's great and we enjoyed that."

"I tell them it's a new team, new season and everyone's going to compete hard against us and want to beat us but we need to play better volleyball."

Katie Schumacher-Cawley has been a major icon of Penn State Volleyball across her career. As a player for the side, Schumacher-Cawley also had an impressive record and won the 1999 NCAA Championships.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley opened up on her journey last year at the 2025 ESPY Awards

Katie Schumacher-Cawley (Image via: Getty)

Katie Schumacher-Cawley shared her thoughts after winning the Jimmy V Award during the 2025 ESPY Awards. It came due to Schumacher-Cawley's heroics last season, where she coached the Nittany Lions to NCAA success, despite battling with breast cancer.

Schumacher-Cawley shared that even though cancer was a big challenge for her last year, it didn't break her belief process. She said (via ESPN, 9:40 onwards):

"This past year has been one I could have never imagined. It's been filled with challenges, grit, tears, but also with perspective, purpose and unbelievable love. Cancer changed my life but it didn't take my belief, spirit, and my team."

Katie Schumacher-Cawley's side, Penn State Nittany Lions, next match is scheduled to take place on September 5 against Kentucky at the University Park.