When the Nebraska Huskers lost last year’s semifinal to Penn State, her reaction was very different from losing the 2023 final. Murray was distraught and emotional after losing the title to Texas. However, despite losing after leading Penn State 2-0 at one point, she was smiling. “I mean, no matter the outcome today… We all knew that we were going to go into it being proud of ourselves,” Murray told the media.

Yet, don’t mistake the 20-year-old taking their 2024 loss much better for complacency. The college volleyball icon gave it her all during their match with Penn State. The Nittany Lions were just the better team after the first two sets. So just how passionate is the outside hitter when it comes to volleyball? Well, Murray discussed exactly that while talking about how the pressure of living up to the Nebraska Huskers’ name has shaped the entire squad.

During Murray’s conversation with Hail Varsity just days ahead of the AVCA First Serve, Ana Bellinghausen said former head John Cook once told her, “Hey, if we don’t win a national championship, sometimes it feels like a failure to fans.” And Harper Murray agreed. She explained that no matter how she reacts, she and the entire team feel that they owe it to Nebraska’s legacy and its fans to make it to the top every year.

“It’s a blessing in disguise,” said the 20-year-old. “Of course, we want high expectations, and we have that for ourselves, but when we don’t achieve it, we know we’re letting a lot of people down—and ourselves, too. So, I think it comes with a lot of pressure, but at the same time, we have to flip it,” the outside hitter told Ana Bellinghausen. So instead of buckling under the pressure, they use it to fuel this determination.

“We have to figure out a way to look at it in a good light and be grateful that so many people want us to succeed and believe in us,” Harper Murray explained during the exclusive interview. However, the pressure to perform for Nebraska’s record-setting fan base isn’t the only thing that drives the 20-year-old to pursue a national championship.

Harper Murray made a promise as a Nebraska rookie

“So old. I feel so old. When we practice, some of the freshmen will stay and get extra reps and I’m like, that’s such a freshman thing,” Murray joked when Bellinghausen highlighted how the outside hitter is now a junior at UNL. For these two years, the college volleyball icon came close to winning the national title but has yet to get her hands on one.

Yet, is winning a national title the only other thing driving Harper Murray and her teammates? No. Rather, their desire to win and defend a national title has been a huge motivation for Murray and Co. “Bergen, Andy, Laney, and I have always told each other, since coming into college, that we would win a minimum of two,” confessed the offensive specialist.

This was also one of the reasons why Murray got so emotional when she lost the title match to Texas as a freshman. Now, just days ahead of their season opener against Pitt Volleyball on August 22, that goal remains unchanged. “Maybe we need to redo this and tell Dani our deal. It’s always been a goal of ours,” Murray said about herself and her teammates.

So as the Huskers embark on yet another volleyball season, with Dani Busboom Kelly as their head coach, they still have a shot at their goal. Winning the title in her junior year and defending it in her senior year would be Harper Murray’s dream come true. It’s safe to say that no matter the outcome, the cheers of the fans along the way will play a big role.