Riley Gaines reacts to Penn State Volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley "beating" cancer after NCAA triumph

Riley Gaines recently gave a shout-out to Penn State women's volleyball head- coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley for conquering cancer and leading the Penn State Nittany Lions to a share of the Big Ten and the National title in 2024. Schumacher-Cawley was battling breast cancer for six months.

Riley Gaines, the swimmer who made waves in the pool at the NCAA level when she competed for the University of Kentucky, became an advocate for women's safety in sports, especially rallying against transgender participation with female athletes. She recently received a shoutout for being the movement's frontrunner from the newly elected US President, Donald Trump.

Gaines recently shifted her attention to volleyball, hailing Katie Schumacher-Cawley for winning her six-month-long battle with cancer.

"Coached her team to a national championship and beat breast cancer in a matter of 2 months. Heroine," Gaines wrote in her X post.

Schumacher-Cawley finished the season with a 35-2 record, leading the Nittany Lions to a remarkable 3-1 victory over Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center (25-23, 32-34, 25-20, 25-17). She won her first Nationals three years after succeeding the legendary Nittany Lions head coach, Russ Rose.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley penned a heartfelt note after concluding her chemotherapy for breast cancer

Katie Schumacher-Cawley looks on at the 2024 Division I Women's Volleyball Semifinals - (Source: Getty)

Katie Schumacher-Cawley, Penn State's Volleyball team's head coach, has left a lasting impression on the sporting domain courtesy of her determination. Throughout her chemotherapy treatments, she coached the team to success in both the Big Ten and the Nationals.

After freeing herself from cancer, she penned a note of gratitude for her close ones and reflected on the journey, writing:

"Well, we did it! Six rounds of chemo—done! Today, I rang the bell, marking the end of this chapter. What a journey it has been. There truly are no words to express how deeply grateful I am for the unwavering support from every corner of my life."

Besides expressing gratitude to her family, she thanked her Penn State squad for their unending support.

"To my PSU family—Tina, Meg, Brian, Mike, and Syd, Scott, Dorn, Nick, Matt, Dr. Millard, and nurse Emily—your extra care, your willingness to step up, and your ability to keep things running seamlessly meant the world to me. My players—your energy, your humor, your presence every single day fueled me in ways you may never fully understand. You have each left an impact, and for that, I am forever grateful," she added.

Katie Schmucher-Cawley became the first female head coach in NCAA history to lift the National trophy. Having played with Penn State in her early years, the 44-year-old amassed two AVCA All-American honors and anchored her team to the 1999 National Championship title.