Two Penn State student-athletes honored with 2025 Ernest B. McCoy Award

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jess Mruzik, an outside hitter on the Penn State women’s volleyball team and Tyler Warren, a tight end with the Nittany Lions football team, have been selected as the 2025 recipients of the Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Award.

The McCoy Award is presented annually to one senior student-athlete who has combined successful athletic participation with academic excellence. The award is named for the longtime dean of Penn State’s College of Physical Education, who also served as the University’s athletic director.

Jess Mruzik

Mruzik earned her MBA from Penn State and is now pursuing a graduate certificate in business analytics. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship after leading Penn State to its eighth national title overall and first since 2014.

She turned in one of the best performances in NCAA Championship history, hitting .308 while averaging 6.11 kills, 2.89 digs, and 0.67 blocks per set in wins over No. 3 Nebraska and No. 4 Louisville. She recorded a double-double in both matches as she totaled 26 kills and 12 digs in a reverse sweep win over the Huskers in the semifinal and 29 kills and 14 digs in a four-set win over the Cardinals in the championship match. It was the culmination of an outstanding season for Mruzik, who earned first-team All-America recognition after leading the Nittany Lions to Big Ten and Regional titles, both of which were clinched at Rec Hall. Her efforts helped the team finish the season 35-2.

Mruzik picked up All-America status in each of her two seasons at Penn State. She was a second-team All-American in 2023, earning the award despite carrying the workload of a one-year MBA program. She finished her career with more than 2,000 kills, 1,100 digs, 250 blocks, and 100 aces. She is just the third player that ever donned a Penn State jersey to eclipse 2,000 career kills. Including her three seasons at Michigan, Mruzik was a three-time All-American and four-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree.

Tyler Warren

In his senior season, Warren helped the No. 4 ranked Nittany Lions advance to the Orange Bowl in a 27-24 thrilling loss against the No. 5 ranked Notre Dame. The team finished the season 13-3, 8-1 in the Big Ten. He’s projected by Sports Illustrated to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft.

Warren broke Penn State records in the tight end spot with 22 total touchdowns (16 receiving, 6 rushing). He ranks fifth among FBS tight ends in career touchdown receptions (15) and 10th in yards per reception (11.9). He’s 11th all-time at Penn State in touchdown receptions (15). Among Penn State tight ends, he is tied for first in touchdown receptions (16), is second in receptions (116) and third in receiving yards (1,414). Warren appeared in 50 career games, making 25 starts.

In 2024, he set the Penn State tight end season records with 67 receptions and 808 receiving yards and is the only Big Ten tight end since 1956 with 4+ rushing touchdowns in a season.

He graduated in Fall 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in advertising/public relations and is pursuing a second degree in telecommunications.

Warren’s awards include:

• Being named a First-Team All-American, Mackey Award Winner, Paul Hornung Award Finalist and a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award.
• Being named the 2024 Kwalick-Clark Big Ten Tight End of the Year.
• Securing the First-Team All-Big Ten accolades in a vote by both the conference’s coaches and media members. Earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and honorable mention from the media in 2023.