"Don't think that's something lot of us thought would happen"- Harper Murray gets 100% real on Dani Busboom Kelly taking over Nebraska Volleyball

Harper Murray recently shared her thoughts on the coaching transition of the Nebraska volleyball program and the team's new head coach, Dani Busboom Kelly. Further sharing that she and her teammates had not anticipated a female coach taking over the legacy of Nebraska.

In 2024, Murray was named the NCAA Lincoln Regional Most Outstanding Player. She is set to play under a new head coach next season, with former Huskers player Busboom Kelly coming in to lead the team. For 25 years the program was led by decorated AVCA Hall of Famer former head coach John Cook.

During her appearance in “Wired Axcess Live Show,” Murray revealed that she is confident in the abilities of Busboom Kelly, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jaylen Reyes, and the rest of the coaching staff.

“Just embracing it is probably the most important thing for us because we're so lucky to have Jaylen [Reyes] and Kelly [Dani Busboom] and everybody else on our staff. So I think just really embracing the change but also looking forward to it because it's awesome that Nebraska volleyball is going to be coached by women now,” she shared. [8:52 onwards]

Murray continued:

“I don't think that that's something a lot of us really thought would happen for a while, just coach has been here for so long and he's a legend but now having a woman being able to take over his legacy is amazing.”

The Nebraska volleyball program is now led by Dani Busboom Kelly, who was named the AVCA East Region Coach of the Year in 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2021, she was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year.

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Harper Murray shares her take on her healing process

Harper Murray at the 2024 Division I Women's Volleyball Semifinals - Source: Getty

Harper Murray is one of the acclaimed outside hitters emerging from Nebraska and has accumulated multiple accolades through her collegiate career. Murray went through a challenging period last year and expressed her thoughts on her return to volleyball and appreciating the individuals who supported her through the difficult times.

“I think part of my healing process is learning to love volleyball again. And I think that will come when I learn how to love myself more too,” Harper Murray told ESPN in 2024.

Murray highlighted that due to personal challenges, her relationship with volleyball got affected. She further mentioned that self-acceptance is one of the ways to rekindle her affection with her sport. She was named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2023 and 2024.