Harper Murray has become a shining star in the world of college volleyball, pleasing both the fans and experts with her outstanding skills and dogged determination. A pivotal player of Nebraska Volleyball, she is not only raising the bar for success on the court, but also making waves off the court due to her high-paying NIL deals. However, Harper’s story is about more than just sports; it is a captivating saga of fighting, family bonds, and personal victories. 

Beyond paying respects to her father and the fact that she is a trailblazing athlete, the one thing that makes Harper’s story so fascinating is her courage and tenacity. In addition to her magnificent shows, her lists of achievements, which are already long, and the limelight of brand endorsements, also show how a young girl has honed the skill of combining fame, enthusiasm, and life context. Let’s explore further the different aspects that make Harper Murray not just an athlete but a rising icon in collegiate volleyball.

Learn about the major NIL deals of Harper Murray

NIL deal—deal to share ‘Name, Image, and Likeness’ by an athlete with a third party. Earlier, college student-athletes were not allowed to earn money from brand collaboration; hence, three years ago, NIL rights came into the picture. The rules of the NCAA and state laws restored NIL rights for the college sports team to make sponsorship deals.

Nebraska volleyball player Harper Murray has been wearing Adidas shoes ever since she started playing, as her school signed a contract with the brand. Everyone—coaches, athletes, and staff—had to wear Adidas products, as the German company is the official supplier for her school. Adidas gives a huge amount of money to Skyline High School—a combination of cash and products.

However, Murray needed to wear Adidas, but she admitted her love for Avoli. She stated, “I think if I had the option to wear another shoe, I’d 100% pick Avoli.” Now her desire is getting fulfilled, as she has signed an NIL deal with Alveoli with two other college volleyball athletes—Ashley Le and Reilly Heinrich. Each will be seen in Avioli’s social media campaigns, brand promotions, and all events as a part of the NIL deal. 

It was not easy for the founders to choose among the talented players. Avoli’s co-founder, Rick Anguilla, said, “There are so many talented volleyball athletes that reflect the dynamic personality of the sport that it was challenging for us to decide with whom to partner to launch our brand.” Even though she had such a big achievement at this young age, she must have craved her father’s love all her life.

All about Harper Murray’s family and the unfortunate passing of her father

The 19-year-old Nebraska volleyball player has a small family—two elder siblings and a mother. Deric Murray, Kendall Murray, and her mother Sarah Murray. Kendall is also a volleyball player at Michigan Wolverines, and Deric is a fitness coach, personal trainer, and sports performance professional for basketball. Murray sisters even played against each other for the Big 10 Trophy. Their mother, Sarah, has chosen a different path—she is a financial advisor. Where is her father, you may ask?

Harper Murray lost her father, Vada Murray, when she was just two years old. Her father was a defensive football player for the Michigan Wolverines under Bo Schembechler in 1990 but later joined as an Ann Arbor police officer. Things are pretty good, but the whole family was shaken by the news—he was diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer in 2008. Vada felt a protruding mass under her left rib cage. The cancer spread to his brain, and after so many chemotherapy sessions, he underwent radiation treatments in February 2011. But the family lost him to cancer on April 6, 2011.

During an interview, while talking about Vada, her mother said, “There’s some sadness; I feel that he isn’t here to witness it.” Though she doesn’t have many memories of her father, Harper has a few tattoos that remind her of her father. One of them has seven letters tattooed on her right arm. Fight hard. Stay tough. Never give up—a phrase Vada Murray used to hear on repeat during his training under coach Bo Schembechler from 1986-90.

Both Kendall and Murray wear jersey numbers because of their father. Both Sarah and Kendall feel very proud when they wear her father’s number. With a supportive family, Harper has made several achievements in her volleyball career.

Major achievements of Harper Murray

Apart from the NIL deal with Avioli, Harper has a list of major achievements in her volleyball journey. She started her career in 2021 and won bronze in the U19 World Championships; later in 2022, she bagged gold at the U19 Pan America Cup and received the award for ‘Best Spiker.’ 

Harper’s club tournament journey began in 2023 and she won several medals during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons. Silver medal in the 2023-24 NCAA season and gold in the NCAA Big Ten conference—in both seasons. When she participated in the Ameritas Players Challenge, she didn’t end up less than gold—in both seasons and gold at the Husker Invitational in 2024-25.

That’s not all; she also took part in beach volleyball and recorded a good score with her partner. Overall score of 18-9 in school and tied for highest individual single-season in school history. In 2023, on her first beach year, Harper Murray ended up with a score of 12-8 with Merritt Beason. 

She has a record of 21 kills with 10 digs at Purdue, also named as Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Aug. 28, 2023; Sept. 18, 2023; and Oct. 2, 2023. Harper Murray has a total of 11 awards and honors. Harper is rising in the volleyball world with lakhs of fans following her on Instagram and other social media platforms. She never disappoints her fans and always tries to fulfill her fans’ demands. What do you think about Harper Murray and her achievements, do tell us in the comment section.