Penn State volleyball instantly received two class of 2027 commitments once coaches were legally allowed to contact rising juniors. Head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley is still dominating the recruitment field as the Nittany Lions received its third commit in two days.
Alongside right-side hitter Nejari Crooks and middle blocker Taylor Harrington, outside hitter Olivia Henry announced that she, too, will be heading to Happy Valley for her NCAA career.
Could Penn State volleyball have the No. 1 class of 2027 recruiting class?
All three front row players are high ranked recruits, with Harrington being the lowest at No. 16. Now with Henry joining the court, the Nittany Lions have the No. 2 overall recruit from the class of 2027. She's also the No. 1 outside hitter of the class. Henry will also play with future teammate and incoming freshman Gabrielle Nichols before attending Penn State. The outside hitter, like Nichols, will play for the 2025 Girls U19 National Team.
For the next few seasons, the outside hitter group will have a lot to prove. Aside from the No. 2 class of 2027 recruit committing to Penn State, the Nittany Lions currently have two Big Ten All-Freshman Team and two incoming freshman vying for an open starter spot. Since Jess Mruzik graduated after the 2025-26 season, the outside hitter position will be up for grabs and can continue to change depending on incoming recruits.
Moving beyond the early stages of 2027 recruiting, eyeing back row players will round out Schumacher-Cawley class. Even though there are young defensemen that will likely stay with the program, the class of 2026 is scarce when it comes to defensive specialists. Libero Gillian Grimes is also graduating after the 2025-26 season, so having a defensive focus going further with the class of 2027 will prepare the Nittany Lions for years to come.
So what does this mean for Penn State?
After winning the championship title, it's unsurprising that Schumacher-Cawley is dominating the recruitment realm, even beyond the class of 2026. Having representation on national levels outside of the NCAA, like the Girls U19 National Team and U19 Pan American Cup, keeps all eyes on Penn State.
Not only will Schumacher-Cawley have one of the top, if not the No. 1, 2027 recruitment classes but it should be expected for Penn State to be one of the top recruitment leaders for the next few years.
Having these early verbal commits from some of the top recruits in the nation mixed with high-profile transfers, like outside hitter Emmi Sellman, will only make the Nittany Lions stronger down the line. Even with a difficult schedule ahead for the 2025-26 season, and most likely for the next few seasons to come, the talent on the current and future rosters can live up to the challenge.
Another Big Ten title win is well within reach for Schumacher-Cawley's group, and potentially more NCAA titles. Continuing to grow on the 2024-25 foundation will open doors for Penn State to become a consistently elite program as it was in the late 2000s and early 2010s.