Riley Gaines reacts as Katie Schumacher-Cawley guides Penn State volleyball team to NCAA title amid her battle with cancer

Riley Gaines expressed her admiration for the Penn State volleyball team's head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley for steering the team to the 2024 Division I NCAA volleyball championships title while navigating a battle against cancer. The Nittany Lions volleyball coach was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.

The 44-year-old, who shared the news of her cancer diagnosis back in October, led the team to the final of this year's NCAA volleyball championships. She also became the first female head coach to win the coveted title.

The Penn State women's volleyball team clinched its eighth national championship after defeating the Louisville Cardinals with a scoreline of 3-1 in the final held at the KFC YUM! Center in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday, December 22, 2024.

Following Penn State's victory, Gaines informed her followers about coach Schumacher-Cawley undergoing chemotherapy and praised her and her team's performance.

"Coach Schumacher-Cawley has been receiving chemo treatments after her cancer diagnosis 4 months ago," Gaines wrote. "She's scheduled for surgery next month. Now, she's the first woman head coach to lead her team to an NCAA volleyball title. Incredible game. Incredible team. Incredible coach."

The Penn State women's volleyball team reached the final of the 2024 Division I NCAA volleyball championships after defeating Nebraska Huskers 3-2 in the semifinal.

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Riley Gaines praised Penn State volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley ahead of NCAA final

Riley Gaines attends the Folds Of Honor Tennessee Rock N' Jock Celebrity Softball Game in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Getty Images)

Ahead of the 2024 Division I NCAA volleyball championships final, Riley Gaines lauded the Penn State volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley for pushing the team till the final round.

Entering her third season as the head coach of the Nittany Lions, Schumacher-Cawley helped the team reach the final. Gaines commended the coach, who is scheduled to undergo a surgery in the the first week of January 2025.

Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer, where she was a 12x All-American swimmer, hailed Schumacher-Cawley as the 'definition of grit and strength'.

"This weekend her team will play in the NCAA D1 Women's Volleyball National Championship," Gaines wrote. "The definition of grit and strength."

Before stepping into the shoes of head coach, Schumacher-Cawley served four seasons as an assistant under legendary head coach Russ Rose.