UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Freshmen Ivan Jurić and Danielle Whitmire of men’s basketball and women’s volleyball, respectively, have each been recognized as the March Student-Athletes of the Month, as announced by the Morgan Academic Center (MAC) and PSU’s academic services staff.
A forward for the Blue & White, Jurić finished his first season in Happy Valley averaging over ten points per game and shooting 57.7 percent from the field. The first-year has totaled 158 rebounds to date while averaging just over ten minutes per contest. Jurić’s biggest game of his career so far came in the 2026 Big Ten Tournament, where the Zagreb, Croatia native put up 22 points, grabbed six boards, and dished three assists.
Whitmire, hailing from Celina, Texas, arrived at Penn State in January to begin training with the team ahead of the 2026 season this fall. The freshman setter arrives as the number four-ranked recruit in the country for the class of 2026.
The MAC Student-Athletes of the Month (SAOTM) are students who exemplify the PSU values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, and Community as well as the Athletics values of Tradition, Teamwork, Diversity, Innovation, and Resilience. At least one female and one male student-athlete will be selected each month, and those students must be in good academic standing, demonstrate strong accountability, and be an example of the leadership on campus and in their community. They are nominated and selected by the Penn State academic services staff.