State Media

Whitney Lauenstein’s journey isn’t what you’d expect. She wasn’t the Gatorade Player of the Year. She wasn’t the most hyped recruit.

She got told “no” by schools early on. But that’s exactly what made her dangerous.

Going from Nebraska, to Texas, to Penn State, Whitney joins Her State to share her story of what it feels like to be overlooked, the mindset that helped her compete at the highest of levels, the chaotic nature of the transfer portal, and how becoming a mother changed her perspective as an athlete.

This isn’t just a volleyball athlete story, this is an underdog story of someone who overcame a lot of adversity to become elite. This is a MUST WATCH for any Penn State fan.

Chapters:

0:00 Meet Whitney Lauenstein

2:17 Small Town Beginnings

3:29 How Volleyball Started

4:15 Multi-Sport Background

5:10 Recruiting Rejections

6:06 The Scholarship Call That Changed Everything

7:22 Learning Patience at Nebraska

8:49 Transfer Portal Reality

10:03 Learning NIL is a Business

11:00 Becoming a Mom During College

17:20 What’s Next After Penn State

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#PennState #CollegeVolleyball #UnderdogMindset

Penn State Baseball players Jayden Davis and Ben Hudson break down the wildest moment of their season — from a brutal hit at first base to a full team response and a walk-off win. This episode of The Clubhouse shows what college baseball is really like behind the scenes.

Chapters:

0:45 Intro to Guests Jayden Davis and Ben Hudson

3:15 The Hit That Changed Everything

4:30 Team Fight & Standing Up for Teammates

6:20 Walk-Off Win After the Chaos

9:00 Breakout Story

11:45 Funniest Dugout Moments

15:15 Best Road Trips This Season

20:30 Summer Plans & MLB Draft Dreams

28:45 Final Thoughts

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#PennState #CollegeBaseball #weare #happyvalley

In this episode of The Pocket, Christian Hackenberg and Jason Cabinda break down what’s really happening inside the program after a deep, behind the scenes, inside look at spring practice, team culture, and roster changes.

How close is Penn State to competing for a Big Ten Championship? What are the impressions left after spring ball? Any positional standouts? Recruiting insight? This is a must watch for any Penn State insider or college football fan.

Chapters:

1:26 Inside Penn State Practice Experience

2:25 Letterman Event

3:31 Why Penn State’s Culture Is Unique

5:28 Alumni Impact

7:27 Inside Practice

8:23 Biggest Takeaway From The Staff

10:25 Penn State Looks Bigger

16:28 New Transfers To Watch

25:44 Spring Game Expectations

31:15 What Will Actually Matter This Season

40:08 Can Penn State Win Big?

Subscribe for more insider Penn State football content.

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#weare #happyvalley #pennstate

Marie-Eloise Leclair joins Her State to share her story, including competing in the Olympics against incredible odds and adversity. Somehow she has overcome it all and competed on the biggest stage in the world in the Olympics.

Marie-Eloise gives an inside view of what it REALLY takes to make the Olympics, the life-changing moment she got the call, how her team set a national record, and what it’s really like living as a competitor.

Chapters:

0:33 Meet Marie-Eloise Leclair

1:36 From Canada to College

2:24 The Decision That Changed Everything

3:19 The Unexpected Olympic Opportunity

4:22 Proving She Belonged

5:13 What Surprised Her Most About the Olympics

6:02 A Day Inside the Olympic Village

8:32 Competing Across the World

9:08 Setting a National Record

10:25 What Makes a Team Elite

11:04 Why She Chose Penn State

13:12 What She Still Wants to Prove

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#pennstate #weare #happyvalley

Aaron Nagao’s journey didn’t start on the mat — it started with survival.

Diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening disease as a child, Nagao wasn’t expected to make it. After a bone marrow transplant saved his life, he’s gone on to become one of the most unique wrestlers in college wrestling — blending jiu-jitsu instincts with elite NCAA competition.

In an extraordinary interview, Aaron sits down to talk about how he survived, the art of jiu-jitsu, becoming an All-American collegiate wrestler, and why he wanted to come to Penn State more than anything.

This isn’t just a story about a wrestler, this is a story about instinct, survival, resilience, and trusting something you can’t exactly explain.

Chapters:

0:55 How Jiu-Jitsu Built His Wrestling Style

1:30 The Rare Disease That Almost Killed Him

2:10 The Bone Marrow Transplant That Saved His Life

3:00 From Jiu-Jitsu Champion to Wrestling Full-Time

4:10 Why Wrestling Became His Obsession

5:05 His Commitment to Develop

6:00 The “Garage” Training That Changed Everything

7:35 First Real Success in Wrestling

8:20 West Coast vs East Coast Wrestling Differences

9:05 The Leg Riding Advantage

10:45 Why He Wants to Be a Firefighter

13:30 Wrestling Brotherhood vs Firefighter Brotherhood

15:30 The Transfer Portal Decision Explained

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#PennStateWrestling #sportstories #viralpodcast

In this episode of The Clubhouse with Penn State Nittany Lions Baseball, Kyle Emmons breaks down his journey from being an inconsistent high school pitcher to competing at the Power 4 level — and why the transfer portal changed everything.

Kyle opens up about his welcome to college baseball, the realities of the transfer portal, what it takes to the jump to power 4 baseball, and becoming a high-leverage pitcher.

Chapters:

0:41 Meet Kyle Emmons

1:26 How He Fell in Love With Pitching

1:54 High School vs College Reality

3:00 The Transfer Portal Decision

4:46 The Real Jump to Power 4

6:00 Why He Chose Penn State

8:36 Biggest Differences at Penn State

11:16 Quick Hitters

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#pennstate #weare

In this conversation with Penn State softball player Michela Barbanente, she opens up about the reality most athletes don’t talk about: self-doubt, pressure, and the mindset shift that changed everything for her career.

From struggling with confidence as a freshman to developing what she calls “delusional confidence,” this is a raw look at what it really takes to compete, not just in sports, but in life. Michela shares her experiences in transitioning from high school to college sports, why confidence matters so much, and playing with freedom.

Chapters:

0:40 Meet Michela Barbanente

1:30 Growing Up & Early Sports Journey

4:30 Losing Back-to-Back Championships

5:33 The Reality of Recruiting Pressure

8:28 The HARDEST Mental Adjustment

10:57 The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything

11:49 Handling Failure Without Breaking

16:00 Behind the Scenes at Big Ten Network

18:19 Rapid Fire

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#pennstate #weare

Penn State pitchers break down the real mental side of pitching, from dealing with pressure to stepping on the mound in high-leverage moments.

From “just throw a strike” to bullpen adrenaline, this episode of The Clubhouse dives into what fans don’t see — and why pitching might be 90% mental.

Chapters:

0:00 “Just Throw a Strike”… Why Pitchers Hate It

1:14 Starter vs Reliever (Biggest Differences Explained)

3:45 Game Day Routine & Getting in the Zone

5:18 What It Feels Like Getting Called From the Bullpen

8:29 Who Has More Pressure + The Mental Side of Pitching

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#pennstate #baseball #pitching #mlb

In this episode of Off the Mat, Tyler Kasak joins the show and opens up about growing up on a farm, raising goats, and building a passion outside wrestling that’s just as competitive. From catching goats as a kid… to breeding high-level livestock worth thousands… this is a side of Penn State wrestling you’ve never seen.Tyler shares how farming helped shape his mindset, the surprising connection between wrestling and livestock, goat genetics, and life outside of wrestling. Chapters:0:41 Meet Tyler Kasak 1:00 Growing Up on a Farm2:15 Catching Goats at Age 63:12 Why Farming Feels Like Wrestling4:48 Building a Goat Business in College6:30 Goat Genetics12:02 Grass-Fed vs Grain-Fed Debate24:38 How Life Outside Wrestling Keeps Him SaneFOLLOW STATE MEDIA HERE:► TWITTER | ⁠https://twitter.com/StateMediaPSU⁠► TIKTOK | ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@statemediapsu⁠► INSTAGRAM | ⁠https://www.instagram.com/statemediapsu/⁠► YOUTUBE | ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@StateMediaPSU?sub_confirmation=1⁠► FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558183472272

College football has changed—and not everyone thinks it’s for the better.

Former Penn State stars Christian Hackenberg and Jason Cabinda break down the reality of NIL, the transfer portal, and what’s really happening behind the scenes in today’s game.

From unrestricted free agency to locker room culture shifts, this conversation dives into what fans aren’t seeing—and what players are dealing with every day.

Plus: NFL Draft insights, Penn State updates, and what the future of college football could look like.

Chapters:

1:04 Life Updates

2:44 Penn State Spring Buzz & RB Room

3:14 NIL Transfer Portal Explained

5:27 Should College Football Have Rules Again?

9:00 What NIL Was SUPPOSED to Be

12:17 How It Got Out of Control

16:00 Why the System Was Never Sustainable

24:04 Coaching Chaos

33:43 Penn State NFL Draft talk

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#pennstate #nfl #nfldraft #collegefootball