When Harper Murray wrote “my bff I miss u” while posting a TikTok with none other than ex-Husker Ally Batenhorst, no one was surprised. After all, Battenhorst played alongside Murray before transferring to USC for her senior year. However, the outside hitter’s fan base reacted very differently when she called another NCAA star her best friend in December 2024. So much so that Murray had to clarify things.

“I feel like u guys didn’t know we were friends,” she wrote, addressing the fans. In all fairness to fans, who would have expected Murray to collaborate with Pittsburgh Volleyball star Olivia Babcock. While college volleyball fans were familiar with seeing the pair compete against one another on the stage, their “long distance” friendship was a pleasant surprise. So, how could the 20-year-old skip wishing Babcock a happy birthday?

So the Nebraska Huskers junior took to Instagram to share an unseen clip of her cheering for Olivia Babcock as she made history. The short clip captured the moment from last year when Babcock became the first Pitt Volleyball player in history to win the AVCA Player of the Year award. “You have the kindest soul. I am honored and grateful that I’ve been able to watch you accomplish what you have and continue to chase your dreams,” Harper Murray wrote in her story. However, there was a twist.

“You deserve and have earned everything that has come your way. I love you. Thank you for being my long-distance bff,” Murray wrote as she continued to praise the birthday girl. Yet, the 20-year-old also reminded everyone that they were rivals on the volleyball court as she issued a subtle challenge to her fellow NCAA star. “See u in August,” added Murray in anticipation of the upcoming volleyball season.

What’s more? By August, the Huskers volleyball star didn’t just mean the star of the season, but the special match between Nebraska and Pittsburgh. The two NCAA rivals will take on one another on August 22 at the AVCA First Serve Showcase at Pinnacle Bank Arena. However, the Panthers will face a new version of the Huskers when they go head-to-head in August.

Harper Murray and Co. have a lot to live up to

The upcoming 2025 NCAA volleyball season won’t be par for the course for the Nebraska Huskers. After 25 years, the five-time national title winners will take to the court in a new avatar, under a new head coach. Although Dani Busboom Kelly is a familiar face on the NCAA stage, fans will see the former Nebraska assistant coach lead the team from the front this time.

After John Cook’s sudden retirement on January 30, Dani Busboom Kelly took the helm with the full support of the team and her former coach. “I went hard, and now it’s Dani’s turn,” Cook later told Hurrdat Sports in April. However, the transition at Nebraska didn’t mean a complete upheaval of what Cook had established. Instead, Harper Murray’s new coach has tweaked the existing system to make it her own.

Nebraska fans already saw a glimpse of experimentation that Nebraska is ready to undertake under DBK during their recent Spring Games. Besides winning both games against South Dakota and Kansas, what stood out was the surprise strategy change against Kansas when DBK masterfully utilized middle blocker Andi Jackson as a D-Ball attacker to shock Kansas.

“The funny thing is that was our first time running it live. And it worked. We did a little back row versus back row drill a week ago,” Jackson confessed during the post-game interview. So it’s safe to say that in their quest to live up to the John Cook era’s legacy, Harper Murray’s long-distance BFF might face a very different Nebraska team come August.