Penn State women’s volleyball just keeps climbing.

The Nittany Lions jumped two spots to No. 11 in the weekly AVCA rankings Monday. Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s group was previously ranked No. 13.

2⃣ more spots in the @AVCAVolleyball Poll#WeAre
? pic.twitter.com/KBUUFNDFFB

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) October 16, 2023

Penn State went 1-1 over the weekend and picked up a sweep of Iowa in Iowa City and fell 3-0 to No. 2 Nebraska.

In the Nittany Lions’ sweep of the Hawkeyes, Alexa Markley led the way with 17 kills, while Mac Podraza registered 44 assists. Gillian Grimes, meanwhile, recorded 19 digs.

In Schumacher-Cawley’s first conference loss in Lincoln, Jess Mruzik put up 12 kills and a 0.073 hitting percentage. Nearly 9,000 fans were in attendance for the showdown of the two undefeated Big Ten teams.

The Nittany Lions will return to action against Iowa at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 20, in Rec Hall. Then, Penn State will host its annual “Dig Pink” matchup against Purdue at 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 22. Folks can tune into the Big Ten battle on FS1.

About the Author

Keeley Lamm

Keeley was Onward State’s managing editor and social media manager in another life. She was also the host of Onward State’s podcast, Podward State. Hopefully she's sitting on a porch somewhere, and you can reach her at keeleylamm@gmail.com.

How Centre County Voted In The 2026 Midterm Elections

Centre County saw a 55.32% voter turnout rate in the general election.

Man Accused of Stealing Vehicle From State College Hotel & Driving Drunk

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 12.

‘Blood In The Water’: Penn State Football Cornerback Audavion Collins & Secondary Elevating Surrounding Units

“He does a good job of making everyone else around him better because he’s the hardest-working guy on the field at all times.”