Harper Murray not afraid to be “the next big thing”
In the history of any sport, the all-time greats are usually identified at a young age. Their skill set, confidence and drive are typically unmatched by their peers as they work their way toward a legendary career. It’s not easy…
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Continue ReadingIn the history of any sport, the all-time greats are usually identified at a young age.
Their skill set, confidence and drive are typically unmatched by their peers as they work their way toward a legendary career.
It’s not easy to carry the label and expectations to be the “next big thing” in any sport, but that’s that task facing Class of 2023 outside hitter Harper Murray.
It’s not hyperbole to suggest Murray may have the most potential of any volleyball player in Michigan in years. When you talk to coaches or club directors, they all recognize that Murray is just a cut above the rest.
Harper MurrayAlready a two-time Open All-American in club and a Division 1 All-State honoree as a freshman at Ann Arbor Skyline, Murray is quickly emerging as one of the best prospects of her age group on a national level.
Coming off the tremendous prep and club career of Jess Mruzik, Murray could find herself on a similar path.
“The tools that (Murray) has can equate to something outstanding, but she has to put the work in. That is what will be up to her. I hate to compare her to Jess Mruzik, but she’s got the skill level of Jess Mruzik, and Jess was in the same place at this point in her development,” Legacy club director Jennifer Cottrill, who has coached both Mruzik and Murray, said. “Jess put in a lot of work and time to make herself the player she became and there are a lot of challenges that go with that, both mental and physical. There are a lot of things that are going to shape who Harper is as a volleyball player. She’s got all the tools, now it’s just about navigating the right path to apply all of it.”
Murray’s volleyball path began at a young age, as she fell in love with the sport while watching her older sister, Kendall, also excel in the sport. Kendall is a Michigan commit that was a 2019 Miss Volleyball finalist and Club All-American over the last year.
“Before I started, (Kendall) was teaching me basics and just getting me interested in the sport. I used to go to her volleyball tournaments just to watch her and how she played the game,” Harper said. “I think she’s definitely a big reason why I love the game so much.”
Harper and her sister were both gifted with coming from an athletic family. Their father, Vada, was a member of the Michigan football team in the late 1980’s. Both sisters have great length and athleticism for their age. Harper currently stands 6-foot-1 and can touch 10-2.
“Harper is just so smooth in her movements. She just has a natural athletic ability that you don’t see very often,” Cottrill said. “She is also tall for her age, so she really has all the pieces you could ask for as a young volleyball player.”
Along with the physical attributes, Murray has the confidence needed to excel at the level she plays. Playing against the best in her age group for years, and being successful, has built up that confidence.
“Knowing I come from a family of athletes that all had to play with confidence and perform at a high level, that has just helped me be able to remain calm in pressure situations,” Murray said. “I know that my family members were all great athletes and that I can be one too.”
Murray helped lead Legacy 14-Elite to a third-place finish at the Junior Nationals in the 2019 club season. She followed that up by joining Kendall and leading Ann Arbor Skyline to the Division 1 state semifinals this fall.
(Photo courtesy of Legacy Volleyball Club)This club season, Murray has Legacy 15-1 Adidas off to a 14-0 start with two tournament championships.
“I want to win a national championship,” Murray said. “We had a really great finish last year and are playing very well right now. We just need to keep getting better each week. I think we have the talent and the coaching to do something really special.”
Cottrill, the coach of 15-1 Adidas, has a lot of experience with big expectations. She coached Novi to three straight Class A state championships and also assisted on Legacy 18-Elite’s national championship last year.
“We talk about pressure being a privilege. We have done well to start the year and earned some respect, but that doesn’t score us any points, so it doesn’t matter,” Cottrill said of managing expectations with Legacy 15-1 Adidas. “Any acknowledgement is nice and appreciated, but it doesn’t earn you a free victory, so we just have to get back to work and keep getting better on our own.”
Cottrill also recognizes the special talent she gets to work with for next few years and is excited to see what Murray can accomplish.
“She knows she’s talented, but she’s not over-confident or arrogant in any way,” Cottrill said. “Harper is very humble and very about the team. She knows she still has a lot of work ahead of her and she needs to get better to get where she wants to be. What’s really great about Harper is that she wants to take the big swing and make the big serve. She embraces those big moments because she’s a confident kid that believes in her abilities.”
That confidence won’t go unnoticed when it comes to recruiting. Murray already has the eyes of most major programs and is likely to find herself heavily sought after in the years to come.
“I think when I started to get recruited, that’s when it hit me that volleyball could be a big part of my future,” Murray said. “In the beginning it was just exciting to think that colleges knew who I was, and I would get nervous anytime I was playing and someone important was watching. Now, it just feels normal to have those eyes on me and I don’t let it bother me.”
The eyes will certainly remain on Harper as she continues to set the bar for the Class of 2023. The only question seems to be, just how high will she raise it?