After the Penn State Nittany Lions swept Creighton in their first match of the AVCA First Serve Showcase, fans expected nothing different for the next match. However, Kansas had a very different idea. At Sioux Falls, the defending NCAA champs had their work cut out for them, and the fans almost had their hearts in their mouths.

Last year, Penn State scripted history as Katie Schumacher-Cawley became the first-ever NCAA volleyball head coach to win the national title. Naturally, fans were sure that the team would carry the momentum from the incredible triumph into the 2025 season as well. But all that hype almost fell flat on its face.

On August 25, Lincoln Arneal took to X to share how Penn State managed to wriggle out a narrow victory in its second AVCA First Serve match. “FINAL: No. 2 Penn State survives 15–12 in the fifth set against No. 14 Kansas,” the post updated the volleyball fans, but couldn’t help but highlight how the Bluejays came close to bagging their first win of the season.

You wouldn’t expect the defending champs to show their cracks so early into the season, but that’s exactly how it was. Errors and miscommunication plagued Penn State’s play, and Kansas gained an early lead. Thankfully, though, the Nittany Lions held on and emerged as the victors with scores of 25-22, 24-26, 16-25, 30-28, and 15-12.

But to say it was a tough-won battle would be an understatement. Penn State struck first in the match, and still they fell behind in the very first set. And not once. Rather, thanks to multiple errors on the court, the defending champions trailed the Bluejays on multiple occasions early into the match. However, the Nittany Lions showed why they’re the reigning champions and managed to claw back from a six-point deficit to win the first set, despite all their faults.

However, Kansas bounced back, and how? Penn State had two set points in the second set, but Kansas saved both and ran away with the set. The momentum carried into the third set, and the Bluejays extended their lead, continuing to heighten the blood pressure for the Nittany Lions’ loyalists. But Schumacher-Cawley’s girls fought back.

“Penn State converts its sixth set point to win the fourth 30-28. Kansas had a match point, but couldn’t finish it off,” Arneal wrote in an X post, underscoring how he was loving the to-and-fro nature of the game despite being essentially a Nebraska follower. But Kansas won hearts despite squandering the lead in five sets. “This one will hurt for Kansas. They were the better team overall tonight,” wrote Avid via a social media update.

Luckily, though, this one fumble won’t be enough to define the Lions’ season.

The Penn State girls won’t need to look too far for guidance

Penn State subdued Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center to win its eighth national silverware last December. Just a month before that, the Nittany Lions, sharing the spotlight with the Nebraska Huskers, lifted their 18th Big Ten title as well. Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s team went 35-2 overall and 19-1 in the B1G, marking an awe-inspiring 2024 season. But it was probably the coach’s relentless backing of her team that helped the roster find it in themselves to hail Katie in the best possible way.

The Penn State head coach was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in September last year, and still refused to let the disease dictate her life. She didn’t miss a single training session or a match. Her fight was legendary, and when the Nittany Lions won the NCAA title, it seemed like her efforts had paid off. To mark the monumental season, Schumacher-Cawley won the Jimmy V Award at the 2025 ESPYs, held in July this year. Naturally, the volleyball coach was over the moon and thanked everyone who stood by her in her acceptance speech.

A lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, Katie also got a special shoutout from her favorite team, further highlighting how she made a lasting impact on even those beyond the realms of volleyball. It’s safe to say that if anyone can help the Nittany Lions find their footing, it would be their own head coach. With her to help navigate through the near-disastrous scenario, can Penn State defend the NCAA title successfully? We’ll have to wait to see!