After elevating her game last year, Harper Murray leads a deep position group poised for a breakout campaign.
During July, Huskers Illustrated will examine the position groups: setter, middle blocker, opposite, libero/defensive specialist and outside hitter, as Nebraska prepares for the 2026 season.
Harper Murray had an offseason of an A-list celebrity.
The 6-foot-2 outside hitter attended World Cup matches, the WNBA All-Star game and the ESPYs.
As she enters her final season, Murray is one of the most recognizable faces in college volleyball. Despite earning All-American honors each of her first three seasons at Nebraska, the one missing piece of her resume: national champion.
Now Murray leads the outside hitter group that will be the key group in the Huskers’ quest to win their first title since 2017. In each of the past three seasons, NU’s run to the championship was ended by the eventual title winner — Texas in the championship match in 2023, Penn State in the national semifinal in 2024 and Texas A&M in the regional final last year.
Murray will try to lead the Huskers with a deep and talented group of outside hitters for the 2026 season.
Who is back: Harper Murray, 6-foot-2, senior; Skyler Pierce, 6-2, redshirt sophomore; Teraya Sigler, 6-3, sophomore.
Who is gone: Taylor Landfair, 6-5, exhausted eligibility
Who is new: Gabby DiVita, 6-1, No. 19 overall prospect according to PrepDig; Jayden Robinson, 6-3, No. 12 prospect.
Harper Murray poses during the 2026 ESPY Awards red carpet at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. While Murray's off-court profile has risen, she is still trying to lead Nebraska to a national championship. | Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesAfter earning second-team All-American honors as a sophomore, Murray elevated her game to another level last year. Behind a retooled offense under first-year coach Dani Busboom Kelly, Murray averaged 3.5 kills per set with a .295 hitting percentage, both career bests. Her hitting percentage was a 38-point improvement from the prior season and she spent most of the season above .300 before a swoon in the postseason.
Her best match of the season came against No. 12 Purdue with 16 kills on 25 errorless swings to go with two aces, two blocks and five digs. When the offense struggled against Texas A&M in the season finale, Murray posted 25 kills, but also committed 12 hitting errors.
Murray won’t overpower most opponents, but she beats them with her wide array of shots and knowledge of when to hit offspeed shots to catch the defense on its heels. If she can find a way to more consistently tool shots off blocks, Murray could elevate her game another.
On top of her attack, Murray is one of the best six-rotation outside hitters. She passed a 2.18 on a 3-point scale and had a 55.2 good pass percentage.
Outside hitter Teraya Sigler serves against the Kansas Jayhawks during the regional semifinal. Sigler mainly played back row for the Huskers as a freshman but is poised for a breakout year after an impressive spring season. | Dylan Widger-Imagn ImagesPerhaps the best-case scenario for the Huskers isn’t for Murray to be their best outside hitter, but for sophomore Teraya Sigler to elevate her game, which she flashed signs of doing during the spring season.
The former top-ranked prospect in her recruiting class recorded 29 kills over three matches with a .521 hitting percentage. The Scottsdale native didn’t commit a hitting error until the third match and was lethal from everywhere on the court while hitting the ball with power and precision.
Sigler can also hold her own passing, as she graded out at 2.27 with a 57.1 good pass percentage. She showed why she was used as a back-row sub for Taylor Landfair last season. Opponents tried to pick on her in serve receive early in the season, but she held up under the pressure.
The Huskers are still waiting for a breakthrough from Skyler Pierce, who appeared in just 24 sets as a redshirt freshman while recording 32 kills. She posted six kills against Lipscomb and Rutgers, but was primarily used in spot duty at the end of sets.
Had it not been for Sigler’s stellar performance, Pierce might have been one of the best stories of the spring. Pierce recorded eight kills on nine swings against Iowa State and then put up five kills in the final set against Northern Colorado. Pierce can play on both pins, but is much more natural on the left. She isn’t as good a passer as Sigler or Murray, but Nebraska has enough defensive specialists to cover for her if they choose to go that route.
Gabby DiVita came from the same club as Harper Murray (Legacy in Michigan) and appears to be another elite six-rotation player. DiVita flashed her passing skills during the spring matches and made a solid impression at the next with her whip-fast arm and blocking skills.
Jayden Robinson is listed as an outside hitter, but can play on both pins. She’s a more physical player who can hit with power (à la Sigler). Robinson is an elite athlete and her versatility will help her get on the floor sooner.
With five options at the left pin, the Huskers have plenty of bodies to throw at opponents. Busboom Kelly has shown a deft ability to give everyone plenty of chances to prove their abilities throughout the season. NU should be able to withstand injuries and avoid the wear and tear of a long season. If the Huskers get All-American seasons from Murray and Sigler, then the Huskers might be the ones ending everyone else’s season.
