Penn State Women's Volleyball Win Heartfelt Championship

Penn State Women’s Volleyball Win Heartfelt Championship

The Penn State Nittany Lions are the 2024 NCAA Women's volleyball champions after beating Louisville in four sets, 3-1. The Nittany Lions were given the number one seed in the tournament, but the road to the championship was anything but easy. In the semifinals, it was a battle of the number 1 seeds, the Nebraska Huskers. The Huskers broke out to a quick start and went up 2-0 on the Lions, the lions had to dig deep, and with a soaring effort, they won 3 straight sets to beat the Huskers 3-2. Penn State’s head coach had been in a battle with stage-2 breast cancer but wanted to stay strong and continue to coach her team to victory. On Sunday, Dec 22. the championship match was set, another battle of the tournament number 1 seeds as 1 Louisville took the court against 1 Penn State. As Penn State's head coach, Katie Schumacher-Cawley, led her team out on Sunday wearing her head scarf, it was clear to see that both she went up against the talented Ne and her team meant business, the intense but ironically calm vibe was evident in the Nittany Lions. Louisville had to play without their star player, Anna DeBeer, who suffered an ankle injury’s semifinal match. The first two sets were split between the teams, which meant this battle was guaranteed extra sets. Now going best of five, Penn State took the opportunity to reset and won the third set and honestly never looked back. The loss of Anna DeBeer seemed to be just too much for Louisville to handle, and they could not find that spark. Penn State fought hard and ended up overpowering Louisville and won the fourth set 25-17. The storybook ending was not only just about the fact that head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley led her team to an 8th championship title while battling cancer but also the fact that she was the first-ever female coach to win a D-1 volleyball championship. She made “Her-story” and did it with bravery and courage. A true championship story for the ages and an impactful one for all those who are in their own battle with cancer. Katie Schumacher-Cawley and the Penn State women’s volleyball team are a testament to perseverance and dedication.

A’ja Wilson’s Crazy New Deal with Nike

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson recently signed a six-year contract extension with Nike. Reportedly marking the highest endorsement deal ever for a women’s athlete. She leads the pack of other notable women athletes who have also signed a Nike contract, including Caitlin Clark (Fever), JuJu Watkins (USC), and Sabrina Ionesco (Liberty). With this contract, she is coming out with a new line of basketball clothing with her signature logo, as well as her shoe, which should be released somewhere near the upcoming 2025 WNBA season. A’ja Wilson is so deserving of this contract because she is a 2x WNBA Champions and 3X WNBA MVP. As well as earning her second Olympic gold medal over the summer in the 2024 Paris Olympics and being named MVP of that tournament. At just 28 years old, A’ja has accomplished and made so much history, and with this deal, who knows how many more doors it will open not only for her but for many more up-and-coming stars.