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Nebraska volleyballer Harper Murray ran into some off-the-court issues in the offseason, landing citations for both shoplifting and a DUI.
The sophomore took to the podium for her first press conference since those legal incidents, and things got awkward very quickly.
Murray was asked by one reporter about her standing with teammates ahead of the season. She declined to answer!
Harper Murray just spoke with reporters for the first time since her offseason legal incidents.
When asked about the support her teammates have shown, she declined to answer and deferred to Merritt Beason.#Huskers @WOWT6News pic.twitter.com/kFVL6MplmJ
— Clayton Collier (@ClaytonJCollier) August 19, 2024
Instead, Murray passed the mic to Merrit Beason, who provided a response for her.
Many applauded Beason’s maturity in the interaction, and judging by her response, Harper Murray has at least one teammate’s support.
The reasoning behind the silence is unknown, though an account that appeared to belong to Murray’s mom chimed in on social media.
Another Nebraska reporter trying to make something out of nothing.
-Sarah Murray / X: @SarahMurray155
Murray pleaded no contest to DUI in June and was found guilty of driving under the influence. According to reports, her blood-alcohol limit was 0.169 when stopped for breaking “multiple traffic laws.”
The 19-year-old is also facing charges on shoplifting after it was reported that she’d stolen $65 worth of gold rings at from a Scheels location in Lincoln.
Harper Murray apologized for the incidents in a statement, taking accountability for the wrongs.
“I deeply regret some of the recent decisions I’ve made, and the pain that I’ve caused my family, my team, volleyball fans, and everyone who has supported me. I take full responsibility for my actions. This last month has been a great opportunity for me to recenter and focus on myself and get back to who I am.
“Thank you to everyone who has shown me grace, kindness, and compassion. When the time is right, I hope to share my story more and in the process hopefully help others. Again, thank you to everyone who has supported me and believed in me.”
That said, she isn’t expected to be suspended by head coach John Cook.
“Harper has been proactive in taking steps to take responsibility for her mistakes,” he said. “She has demonstrated through her commitment to community service and through her involvement in helping lead our youth camps that she is ready and willing to learn from this.”
Nebraska lost in the national championship game last season with Harper Murray being named a third-team All-American. They’ll hope to secure the title in 2024.