Tom Brady, Simone Biles, and Michael Jordan, in no particular order, are some of the greatest athletes known to America, maybe even the world. Anyone who knows sports, and even those who don’t, have heard these names many times before. In the volleyball world, Izzy Starck, a setter at Penn State, is growing in equivalence to the icons referenced before.
If you know anything about Women’s College Volleyball , then you know who Starck is. Freshman from Colorado, she moved to Florida her senior year and was named Gatorade player of the year. She then committed to Penn State as a starting all-around setter and led her team to win the NCAA Championship last winter. Serena Wong, a sophomore on the Broad Run high school varsity volleyball team, calls her “possibly the best setter in the NCAA.” With Penn favored to bring home the trophy again, a slight blip in their plan was brought to the public’s attention. Starck, MVP for Penn State, is taking a year off from volleyball! The reason believed is that Starck is prioritizing her mental health. What does this mean for Penn State, the D1 school aiming for a back to back championship title?
Starck posted on social media, via her Instagram, to announce she was taking a step back due to mental health inclinations. The response from the public was generally well received. What most fans understand is that it is much more important for Starck to better herself mentally then win a championship. Wong says “I think it is really brave of her, and it is so great for her to be able to focus on herself” Yes, she is leaving her team, but it is believed that she will come back stronger than before. Piper Rossi, a varsity volleyball player also speaks on this topic. She says that, “Obviously it is not going to be good for Penn, but no one knows what she is going through, and mental health should be prioritized over any sport.” Most fans online support her decisions, agreeing that she should focus on herself. Rossi says that “Even if you’re a professional, at the end of the day, it’s only a sport.”
Last championship season, Penn State had a record of 10-6 and took home the trophy after beating Louisville in 4 sets. The win made their head coach, Katie Schumacher, a surviving and fighting victim of cancer, the first female head coach to win a national championship title. That year, the team rallied to play for their coach, but with Starck out of commission, will the Lions continue their streak and take two back to back titles? “Izzy Starck is irreplaceable,” Wong says, but Penn state is still a division one school, top in the country, and they’re definitely not giving up. Prior to the number one ranking they received after beating Louisville, the Lions now have a record of 7-5, which is still good, but have fallen down to 16th seed. Outside hitter and friend of Starck, Jess Mruzik, was another player that led the team to victory. However, after being granted a 5th year from covid-19, she graduated in the past spring. This leaves Penn State without their two top players. Can Penn State overcome losing two icons, and the players that led their team to victory?
