Nebraska’s Harper Murray was born to his parents, who have a sports background.
Outside hitter Harper Murray, 19, is on pace for another season of All-American honors and showed it again Wednesday with a match-high 11 kills and 556 hitting percentage in a sweep of Iowa.
Highlights
- Harper Murray was arrested for careless driving, an unlawful act of the Motor Vehicle Operator’s License Act.
- She was born to her father, Vada Murray, and her mother, Sarah Murray.
- Murray grew up with her two sisters, Kendall and Deric Murray.
She was great on offense and defense in the 25-9, 25-16, and 25-17 wins in Coralville, Iowa. Her 472-hitting percentage was its second-highest of the season, and its best in a Big Ten match in seven seasons.
While blocking the Hawkeyes 9-1, the Huskers held Iowa to 082 hits. In two matches against Nebraska this season, Iowa never topped 20 points in any of the six sets.
Second-ranked Nebraska has won 24 matches since a loss at SMU on September 3, 2024. Nineteen of the 24 wins have been sweeps. Iowa has lost 11 of its last 12 matches.
In winning the first set 25-9 against Iowa, Nebraska won nine straight points to end the set.
On April 5, 2024, she was arrested for DUI, careless driving, and an unlawful act of the Motor Vehicle Operator’s License Act.
She was also charged with misdemeanor shoplifting for stealing five gold rings worth $64 from Scheels.
Harper Murray’s Mother, Sarah, Is A Financial Advisor
Harper’s entire family is involved in sports, but her mother has chosen a different path by being a financial advisor.
Her official LinkedIn profile shows that she has been a private wealth advisor at Murray, McCummons & Associates, Ameriprise Financial Service, LLC’s private wealth advisory practice since 1993.
— Sarah Murray (@SarahMurray155) February 6, 2015
She completed his graduation from Northern Michigan University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in public relations degree.
On May 2, 2024, Harper shoplifted rings from a Scheels store, later claiming that she backed out during part of the event.
When Harper realized the incident might go public, she panicked, contacting her lawyer, sports psychologist, and eventually Marquita Armstead, Nebraska’s executive associate athletic director, to confess.
Her mother, Sarah, struggled with the news, balancing her concern for Harper with protecting her other daughter, who was celebrating her graduation.
Harper Lost Her Father When She Was Just Six Years Old
Harper Murray’s father, Vada Murray, played defensive football for the Michigan Wolverines under Bo Schembechler in 1990 but later became an Ann Arbor police officer.
He was an All-Big Ten player and played in three Rose Bowls. After college, Vada was invited to the NFL Combine but turned it down to become a police officer.
In addition, Vada Murray was the first person in his family to graduate from college.
During his college career at Michigan, he wore the number 27, so Harper decided to wear the same number herself. Harper said, explaining her decision to wear his number,
“I have been told a lot of stories about him,” “I know he was a really competitive person. And I know he was loved by a lot of people in Ann Arbor, where we were from.”
Harper Murray
Sadly, Vada passed away on April 6, 2011, at 44, after a three-year battle with lung cancer when Harper was just six years old, even though he never smoked. Harper’s mother has said she shares the same competitive spirit as her father.
Earlier, Sarah and Vada met with two therapists to discuss how to tell their children that he was going to die. The therapists recommended bringing the children to their office.
Vada was bedridden by them, and it took three people to get him into the car. He told his children that he was going to die because he had cancer and that it wasn’t their fault.
Harper Murray’s Family Are Originally From The United States
Harper Murray and his entire family originate from the United States; therefore, they are American nationals and of White American ethnicity.
She lives with her two sisters, Kendall and Deric Murray. Kendall played volleyball in Michigan and was her father’s number 27, which reminded her to keep pushing.
Kendall was diagnosed with dyslexia in elementary school. She played volleyball for the University of Michigan and graduated in 2024.
Moreover, she laid a new foundation for Michigan Volleyball in 2024. She was a dependable player on and off the court, actively participating in all aspects of student-athlete life.
She led the Wolverines in kills during her senior season with 282, up from her junior season, when she finished with 183. She had a season and career-high 24 kills against Rutgers on November 12, 2023.
Additional Information
- Harper Murray has an estimated net worth of around $1 million as of 2024.
- She has played for the USA Volleyball Under-19 and Under-18 Girls Teams. In 2022, she won the Best Spiker Award at the Pan-American Cup, where the team won Gold.
- Murray was part of the 2021 Girls’ Team, which won Bronze at the FIVB U19 World Championship that year.
