When one college volleyball star shatters a record, what does her close friend and rival have to say? For Nebraska’s Harper Murray, the reaction to Olivia Babcock’s latest incredible performance was just a single word, perfectly capturing their dynamic.
The moment highlighted a friendly rivalry between two of the sport’s biggest names, as Babcock’s dominant outing powered the Pittsburgh Panthers to their 19th victory of the regular season.
How Did Harper Murray React to Olivia Babcock’s Record-Breaking Game?
Following Pittsburgh’s nail-biting 3-2 win over North Carolina, which improved the team’s record to 19-3, Harper Murray shared her amusement at Olivia Babcock’s performance. Babcock broke her own record with 45 kills in the match, surpassing her previous mark of 41 that was set against Louisville on October 9. This feat earned her recognition as the ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, an honor she shared with Flormarie Heredia Colon of Miami.
In an Instagram post from NCAA Volleyball that highlighted Babcock’s achievement, her close friend and Nebraska Volleyball star joined in on the celebration. Murray’s reaction was a simple comment on the post: “Bro 😂”.
The record-setting performance is just the latest highlight in a decorated career for Babcock. In addition to her accomplishments this season, she was named the ACC Player of the Year and the AVCA National Player of the Year in 2024. She also won the CWSA Volleyball Honda Award that year and received an ESPY nomination for Best College Athlete in Women’s Sports in 2025, among her other notable feats.
Meanwhile, Murray is a standout player in her own right for Nebraska, earning All-Big Ten First Team honors in both 2023 and 2024. As a freshman in 2023, she was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and received the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. She has also played a crucial role in Nebraska’s unbeaten run this year, with the team standing at 22-0 following a 3-0 sweep over Oregon in their latest match.
How Did Nebraska Handle Oregon’s Aggressive Serving?
Following Nebraska’s match against Oregon, Murray was asked what it was like to face a team that serves very aggressively. She acknowledged that the Huskers knew Oregon was a strong serving team but admitted they were caught off guard by the intensity.
“Yeah, I think I said this a few weeks ago, but it’s really hard to win when you struggle serving and passing. So, we knew coming in that they were a good serving team. I don’t think we expected it to come in that hot, but, you know, that’s on us to fight it high in the middle and run the offense,” she said in a post-match interview.
While she noted that Nebraska’s passing wasn’t at the level they wanted, Murray pointed out that the team still found ways to generate points. She viewed that resilience as a positive takeaway from the match.