Penn State Women's Volleyball coach to be honored at Espys for “perseverance and determination”

The head coach of the Penn State Women's Volleyball Team will be awarded the Jimmy V Award 2025 this evening at the Excellence in Sports Performance.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley took over the head coach of Penn State women's volleyball team in 2022.

She announced publicly that breast cancer was diagnosed last October. In the same year she led the team to the NCAA National Champions 2024.

The Jimmy V Award for endurance is after the late Jim Valvano, a college basketball coach and ESPN broadcaster.

The award is awarded by the V Foundation for Cancer Research, a non -profit organization founded by Valvano. It will be given to “a deserved member of the sports world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination”.

The V Foundation posted a video by Schumacher-Cawley, which was selected for the award.

“I'm speechless,” she said. “I feel totally honored. What an honor it is. And, thank you boys. It is particularly special.”

The award will be awarded this evening at 8 p.m. in the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on ABC, ESPN+ and Disney+.