Nebraska did not miss out on a chance to clinch the Big 10 championships this year. After a setback in the first set, the Huskers showed their grit in the most crucial game. They defeated Maryland in the finals and secured the co-Big Ten champions with Penn State. However, as the team succeeded in unity, a certain Harper Murray emerged as one of Nebraska’s most impressive athletes of the season. As a matter of fact, Murray has been on the receiving end of some coveted awards and honors. Her incredible athletic skills earned her a spot on the All-Big Ten First Team back in 2023. 

She also impressed in her freshman year itself, leading to her clinching the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award in 2023. Apart from these, Murray has been bestowed with a host of different accolades. The 19-year-old has won the AVCA Region Freshman of the Year and has been featured in the AVCA All-American Third Team and All-Region Team in 2023. Well, so far, things are looking all shiny and rosy for Murray. Unfortunately, that is just half of her story. 

Having lost her father at the tender age of 6, there might have been some deep-rooted mental impact on Murray. Diagnosed with ADHD when she was a child, her offseason antics this year made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. In shocking news, the 19-year-old was pulled over by the police earlier this year. The incident took place early in the morning on Vine Street between 16th Street and Antelope Parkway. While being tested for drunken driving, police officials were shocked to note that the alcohol content in Murray’s blood was 0.169. It was double the legal limit! 

Slapped with a DUI, the news soon went viral, pushing Murray into further depression. And as if this was not enough, the Huskers’ star once again got into trouble after getting caught shoplifting. Surely, these things did not make the volleyball athlete proud and thus, she never expected to get any support in her troubled journey. But Murray was wrong. Despite her troubles, the Huskers’ star found firm hands of reassurance on her shoulders from her mother and coaches. In a recent interaction with ESPN, Murray reflected on the support she got during her dark phase.

She said, “I was worried. I was just trying to numb myself and try to hurt myself before other people could… My mom and my coaches knew I was struggling for a while, and they were all trying to help me. I think that’s kind of why I was so disappointed in myself. They knew what was going on, and they were trying to help me, and it just wasn’t enough. I knew I let them down. My coaches have been supportive, but I don’t feel like I deserve it.”

Well, despite Murray repenting her actions, her coach sounded quite compassionate towards the young volleyball star. He stated that Murray had already had enough torment. Thus, there was no point in punishing her even more. She has faced legal challenges and also has unpaid debts to pay for. Thus, according to her coach, compassion and support were the most important things Murray could use to make a turnaround in her otherwise glittering career. However, while there are people who have supported the young volleyball player, there has been instances when Murray was ravaged with scathing online trolls. 

Harper Murray details her experience with online trolls

It all started with Harper Murray claiming to win three national titles in the next three years. Soon after her comment went viral, the online community came harshly at her and trolled her in ways she could not even imagine. This had a negative impact that made Murray sink really low. She even wanted to run away from volleyball and things soon started to go haywire for the volleyball star. Not to mention, it ended quite badly with a DUI and a shoplifting charge. 

Ahead of the big final against Penn State, Murray opened up about her struggles in a TikTok video. She stated, “Back up a few months, obviously, I didn’t make the best decisions… I want to talk about, kind of like, what led up to that and what put me at such a low point… I was doing everything I could to escape volleyball… And part of the reason why I wanted to escape volleyball was because I was so affected by what other people said.” She then went on to state how these kinds of hate comments can negatively impact an athlete and might cause serious damage to their professional careers. 

“All these things took such a toll on my self-confidence and self-worth. And I know a lot of other athletes are in my position,” Murray opined. Thankfully, the 19-year-old has admitted to feeling a lot better at the moment. Trying to take help from her coaches and family, Murray wants to make a comeback to the sport in shining colors.