It’s hard enough to defend a national championship. It’s even harder when you lose your top three attackers from that title team.

That’s what Penn State women’s volleyball faced entering the 2025 season — and the Nittany Lions looked like a team in transition during the State Farm Volleyball Showcase at PPG Paints Arena, where they were upset by Arizona State on Sunday and TCU on Monday.

“We had a group of seniors last year that kind of led the charge,” Penn State coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley said after the five-set loss to the Horned Frogs. “This group is slowly finding their voice and who needs to lead.”

Penn State won its first set of the showcase. They proceeded to lose the next three against the No. 13 Sun Devils (who moved up to No. 7 in Monday’s ranking), including a heartbreaki

See Full Page