Recently released, No Place Like Nebraska, filmed by Jennifer Karson Strauss and Madeline Rundlett, gives us a deep dive into what it means to be a Nebraska volleyball player and the full story of Big Ten freshman of the year Harper Murray.
No Place Like Nebraska explores the significance of what it means to be a part of the Nebraska volleyball program. They are one of the most successful programs in the history of the NCAA. Founded in 1975 with five national championships under their belt. John Cook, head Nebraska women’s volleyball coach, states, “When you play for Nebraska, you’re playing for the whole state”. What makes the program so special is not only its success but its ride-or-die fan base.
On August 30th, 2023, Nebraska moved their annual game against Omaha outside to the football stadium breaking the attendance world record for a D1 women’s sporting event. They recorded 92,003 fans that night. As a women’s NCAA athlete myself, it was really special to see how women’s sports are growing and how big the volleyball world has become.
Now what makes Nebraska volleyball so special from the rest is not only their history but their success in 2023. The 2023 roster for Nebraska women’s volleyball had no seniors and four new incoming freshmen who will replace all the graduating players from last year. In everyone else’s eyes, this program was in for a brutal awakening. That is a lot of pressure for the starting lineup considering there are only six people on the court. These four new freshmen have to not only play together but fill the shoes of four graduating seniors who had a hell of success the past four years. As the season goes along Nebraska continues to crush it and blow the Big Ten teams out of the water. It was truly a miracle story. All the odds are against this team. They do not have seniority, experience, years of training, and maturity but they still seem to perform at the highest level winning every game. They won the Big Ten Championship finishing with a record of 28-1.
As they entered the NCAA tournament, I had little hope for this team. Yes, they did great in the regular season but when it comes to playoffs it’s not all about skill. It’s mainly mental, it’s anyone’s game and the team to always win is usually the one with the seniors and fifth years. I thought when it came down to that under-pressure moment they would all crack. They went every single round in that tournament sweeping every team one by one. It was monumental and beautiful to watch. Everyone was rooting for their happy ending. Unfortunately, they got swept in that championship against Texas. They cracked under the pressure and sank fast. It was a really sad and heartbreaking ending to watch. After the hard loss, a press conference occurred. They put freshman outside hitter Harper Murray out there and let’s just say she was not in the right mindset to be in the public eye after the loss. Harper states “Yeah I think we’re gonna win three national championships the next three years”, in a monotone defensive voice.
That spring season of her freshman year Harper was arrested for a DUI in April of 2024 and caught shoplifting the next month. There was an obvious downward spiral the athlete was going through and the media was not pretty. In the documentary, they sat Harper down to explain her side of the story. She received so much hate on her social media platforms after the press conference that triggered anxiety, and depression. The athlete was at such a low point she almost had to drop out of school and not continue her spring season. Harper says she felt so alone and she hated herself as a player and a person after that press conference. One night she was out alone without her teammates and she made a bad decision. She knew she had messed up and ruined the image of her program. Harper was suspended from matches in the spring and has entered behavioral therapy along with other programs for her DUI.
I sympathize with Harper Murray. She is a 19-year-old female athlete and a famous icon in the volleyball world. Many younger players look up to her and she represented so much more than just Nebraska volleyball. All because of one comment she made after a loss and her life took a turn for the worse. Mental health matters and the documentary No Place Like Nebraska makes it clear how much responsibility it is to join a program that big. You are not only an athlete but now a public figure for women’s sports. Sometimes it’s too much to handle and not everyone is made for that life.