"Best friend for life" - Nebraska Volleyball's Harper Murray pens heartfelt message for her mother on Thanksgiving day

Nebraska Volleyball's Harper Murray wrote an emotional message for her mother, Sarah Murray, on Thanksgiving Day. Her mother has been her strongest supporter throughout her successful volleyball career.

Although Murray and her two siblings, Kendall and Deric, are involved in sports backgrounds, their mother, Sarah, works in the finance sector as a financial advisor. She has been the greatest source of support for Murray since her father passed away in 2011, at age 44. Murray's father, Vada, lost his life to cancer.

On this year's Thanksgiving Day, Murray penned her gratitude towards her mother, stating she is her best friend for life.

"My best friend for life," Murray wrote, adding a white heart. "Thankful for the best mom in the world."

Screenshot of an Instagram story (Image - harpermurrayy).

Harper Murray's father was diagnosed with lung cancer when she was three years old. After navigating the tough period of three years, Murray lost her father in 2011. Vada served as a police officer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He also played for Moeller High School before representing the University of Michigan. During his tenure in Michigan, Vada played in three Rose Bowls: 1987, 1989, and 1990. He wore No. 27 in both clubs. To honor his legacy, his daughters Harper and Kendall both wear No. 27 to represent the Nebraska and Michigan volleyball teams, respectively.

Nebraska Volleyball's Harper Murray opens up on her life outside volleyball

Harper Murray of the Nebraska Volleyball team against the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo - Getty Images)

Nebraska Volleyball's Harper Murray spoke about her life beyond volleyball, stating that she tries to enjoy her life beyond the sport. In an interview with the NCAA Championships, she highlighted that she tries to show her life outside of the sport, which includes exploring travel destinations, fashion, food, and other lifestyle activities. Murray frequently shares updates of her life outside of volleyball with her fans on social media.

"What I want people to understand is like people have lives outside of their sports," Murray said. "And I feel like that's something that I've been able to incorporate in my social media. And that's kind of been a goal of mine because I feel like when they see that, they can understand that I'm a person also and volleyball is not my whole life. Like there's more to me than that." (0:22 onwards)

The Nebraska Volleyball Women's team will next face Ohio State on November 28, 2025, at the John Coook Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.