When a volleyball jumps in the air to hit a spike, few focus on what is going on with their fingers. However, Nebraska Husker’s star Harper Murray is an exception. The Outside Hitter has taken something as uneventful as finger tapping and added her spin, capturing fans’ imagination. Thanks to social media, fans have been able to ask Murray about the significance of her practice.

“I’ve gotten a lot of DMs about what I put on my fingers when I wear my finger tape. So I thought I’d just do that when I get ready,” Murray noted as she got ready to face Iowa State on November 20. In the video, the No. 27 Nebraska OH couldn’t recall why she started wearing finger tape. However, she did say watching teammate Skyler Pierce drove her to try. Yet, it’s what she wrote on the tape on eight of her fingers that’s piqued everyone’s interest.

What stories do Harper Murray’s fingertips tell?

While the letters and numbers on Murray’s gainers may look random, her fans knew they had significance. Why? Because the sophomore from Ann Arbor writes the same things every time she steps on the court. Murray confirmed their speculations as she described the meaning behind the letters and numbers while putting on mascara during the 3-minute-long clip.

Harper Murray revealed the meaning behind what she writes is deeply tied to her journey with the team, her relationship with her teammates, and especially, with head coach John Cook. Murray revealed that she only writes about the things that motivate her during the match. “I do it on eight fingers. I don’t do my thumbs, but on my left pinky, I put the number eight for Lexi (Rodriguez),” Murray revealed in the video.

“She’s helped me grow so much as a lava player and a person, and she’s just a very calming presence for me. She’s helped me a lot. So I like to put No. 8 for her,” said the Husker. The 19-year-old then confirmed the number that most fans may have guessed correctly. “I put 27 for myself because it’s my favorite number,” revealed a hitter from Michigan.

However, the significance of the number ’27’ goes far beyond being plastered on Harper’s Nebraska jersey. The athlete puts 27 right beside 8 as a symbol of Lexi Rodriguez always being by her side, both on and off the court. “I’ve always had that number,” said the Husker because it’s become part of her family’s sporting heritage. The 19-year-old’s sister, Kendall Murray, who played volleyball for Michigan from 2020–23, also rocked the No. 27 jersey. Murray also answered what may be the most cryptic out of all the writings that adorn her finger tapes.

On the right index, “I put ‘I pick me,’ which was a theme that our team had last year,” revealed the volleyball star. Although she struggled to describe the exact origins of the quote, Murry explained that it was a motivational one. “It’s basically just saying, like I would pick myself, even on like my worst days,” said the sophomore. Harper added that this was something every husker follows, whether it’s during practice or on the volleyball court to foster self-confidence. However, before deciphering the final piece of the puzzle, here’s the crucial step the Outside Hitter never skips.

The locker room ritual of putting on the war paint

Although the Gatorade Player of the Year award winner adopted finger tape this season, it’s already become a ritual. The volleyball player treats it much like a tool that helps get her mind in the zone. However, the sophomore revealed that she doesn’t do it alone. “So yeah, Lexi always sits on my lap in the locker room, and she writes,” the Husker informed her followers.

The final-year defensive specialist writes “8, 27, and I pick me” on the designated fingers. However, Harper Murray doesn’t write coach John Cook’s initials, “JC” herself. She then retraces everything with the mark one more time before stepping outside the locker room. So if you’re wondering why the 19-year-old doesn’t let anyone else write JC, there’s a good reason behind it.

John Cook is more than a mentor to Harper Murray

Besides a direct tribute to Libero Lexi Rodriguez, the only other Huskers member Murray directly references through her finger tape art is John Cook. The college volleyball star puts “JC” on her left index finger. “I do JC for a coach, and that also is because I’m really lucky to have a coach like him,” Murray revealed in her TikTok video.

“He has also done a lot for me and put so much time and effort into me as a person and a player. He also is a very big role model for me,” Harper Murray added. However, it’s difficult to state just how pivotal a role John Cook has played in getting Harper Murray’s life. That’s because when the 19-year-old had sunk to the depths of depression, the Cook didn’t give up on her.

The Big 10 Freshman of the Year took their NCAA finals loss against Texas to heart. After the devastating loss, Murray said Nebraska would win the next three NCAA titles consecutively. Her comment blew up, and the attention Murray got wasn’t positive. The promising volleyball player spiraled during the off-season, culminating in a DUI in April 2024.

It was during this difficult time that the Huskers’ head coach came to their rescue. “He wasn’t happy with me… But at the same time, he promised my mom that he would be there for me. And that’s exactly what he did. He held me accountable,” Harper Murray said about her coach. And while Cook was hard on his pupil, he also showed faith in the hitter’s abilities.

“I learned a long time ago that you do everything you can before you give up on these kids,” John Cook said about helping Harper Murray rejuvenate her love for the sport after the biggest slump in her sporting career. The three-time AVCA Coach of the Year developed a deep bond with the 19-year-old as he helped Murray bounce back. Although the 68-year-old hesitates “to call it father-daughter, because I’m not her father,” the rest of Huskers would say he is close enough.

Harper Murry lost her father when she was six, and what John Cook did for his pupil was no less than what the sophomore’s father, Vada Murray, would’ve done. So it’s no surprise that the No. 27 Husker doesn’t let anyone write JC on her finger tape.