The head coach of the Penn State women’s volleyball team will be awarded the 2025 Jimmy V Award at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards this evening.
Katie Schumacher-Cawley took over as head coach of Penn State’s women’s volleyball team in 2022.
She publicly shared she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer last October. That same year, she led the team to be the 2024 NCAA national champions.
The Jimmy V Award for Perseverance is named after the late Jim Valvano, a college basketball coach and ESPN broadcaster.
The award is presented at the ESPYS by the V Foundation for Cancer Research, a non-profit founded by Valvano. It’s awarded to “a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination.”
The V Foundation posted a video of Schumacher-Cawley reacting to being chosen for the award.
“I’m speechless,” she said. “I’m totally honored. What a… what an honor that is. And, thank you guys. That’s super special.”
The award will be presented at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC, ESPN+ and Disney+.
