The 2024-25 Penn State Athletes of the Year were named on Monday, June 23. The Penn State wrestling and women's volleyball teams will have their respective student-athletes nominated for the Big Ten Athletes of the Year award.
Jess Mruzik and Carter Starocci were honored as the female and male athletes of the year for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State women's volleyball's Jess Mruzik is awarded the female 2024-25 Penn State Athlete of the Year
Mruzik helped lead the Nittany Lions to their eighth NCAA title as a graduate student. The outside hitter transferred to Penn State after three years at Michigan.
As a graduate student, she was honored as the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player and NCAA State College Regional Most Outstanding Player of the game. She led the Nittany Lions to Big Ten and Regional titles, as well, which earned her first-team All-American status. Throughout her career, she was also named to the first-team All-Big Ten teams from 2021-24.
In her final year of eligibility, Mruzik started all 37 games and had 1,497 attacks, tallying 565 kills throughout the season. She added an additional 313 digs, 68 blocks, and 32 aces to her resume. In 27 matches, she had double-digit kills with a high of 29 against Louisville in the championship game, Michigan State, and Ohio State. She now leads the Nittany Lions in kills, attacks, and points. Mruzik ended her career with 2,030 kills off 5,492 attempts and 129 aces in total.
After winning the championship with Penn State, Mruzik moved on from the NCAA and began pursuing her career further. She now plays for League One Volleyball's Houston team. She signed with the team the day after the championship win. The Pro Volleyball Federation'a Grand Rapid Rise also drafted Mruzik in 2024.
Penn State wrestling's Carter Starocci is awarded the male 2024-25 Penn State Athlete of the Year
This is Starocci's second year being honored with the award. He was first awarded as the Penn State Athlete of the Year in 2023. He was a member of the Penn State wrestling team for his entire NCAA career.
Like Mruzik, he received this award fresh off a 2025 NCAA Division I National Championship and receiving the 2025 NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Wrestler honor. This was Starocci's 14th time becoming a national champion and leads the NCAA as a whole in becoming a five-time NCAA National Champion. He was a finalist for the Hodge Trophy and named as the 2025 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. Starocci ended his career as a five-time All-American, three-time Big Ten Champion, and three-time first team All-Big Ten selection.
As a graduate student, he had an undefeated record. The 26-0 record included six pins, 10 technical falls, and five majors. Throughout his NCAA career, he only lost four matches and ended with a 104-4 record. This included 20 pins, 25 technical falls, and 21 majors.