STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Volleyball All-American Katie Schumacher will join the Penn State women's basketball team and become a dual-sport student-athlete, school officials announced on Friday.
The 6-0 junior outside hitter from Chicago, Ill., will join the Lady Lions at the conclusion of volleyball season in mid-December.
"Katie asked to join the basketball team," Lady Lion basketball coach Rene Portland said. "She understands the work involved and the commitment to both programs. Her basketball credentials are legitimate, and she helps fill the need we have in post position depth."
Schumacher, a Volleyball Magazine Honorable Mention All-American, was a unanimous preseason first-team all-Big Ten honoree this fall. As a redshirt sophomore last year, the all-Big Ten selection helped the Penn State volleyball team to its third consecutive final four appearance and first-ever national championship.
Named the Most Valuable Player at the 1999 Nittany Lion Invitational, Schumacher has earned Big Ten Player-of-the-Week accolades twice in her career.
"This is a great opportunity for Katie to participate in a sport she's always been very passionate about," Nittany Lion volleyball coach Russ Rose said. "Not to diminish her role in volleyball, but this is an opportunity for a talented Penn State athlete to demonstrate her abilities in different sports."
At Mother McAuley High School, Schumacher was a four-year starter in both sports. A four-time Girls Athletic Conference selection, the forward guided the Mighty Macs to three Illinois state playoff appearances. The 1997 Chicago Sun-Times Female Athlete-of-the-Year, she also garnered Player-of-the-Year honors in basketball and volleyball from The Star newspaper in 1996 and 1997, and the Daily Southtown in 1996. The all-state pick captained both squads as a senior while earning team MVP honors.
A telecommunications major, Schumacher has family ties in the Big Ten. Her father Gerald played football at Michigan from 1969-73, while her younger brother Jerry is a sophomore linebacker at Illinois.
Schumacher is the second volleyball player to join the basketball team in school history. Jen Reimers (1993-95) played both sports for two seasons.
The addition of Schumacher brings the Lady Lion roster up to 12 players. Penn State will open the 2000-01 season with six guards, four forwards, and a center, including five freshmen.