Performance of the Week: Ann Arbor Skyline’s Harper Murray
November 16, 2021
Harper Murray ♦ Junior
Ann Arbor Skyline ♦ Volleyball
The 6-foot-2 outside hitter has led her high school program to its best postseason finishes all-time over the last three seasons and helped her country to fame on the international court as well this fall. Murray’s first three seasons on Skyline’s varsity have coincided with the program’s first three Regional titles in volleyball, including the Eagles’ championship triumph Thursday as she had 26 kills and 20 digs in her team’s five-set win over Brighton. Skyline (53-3-2) advanced to play Northville in one of tonight’s Division 1 Quarterfinals. Murray also was among her team’s leading hitters as a freshman in 2019 as Skyline reached the Division 1 Semifinals – her older sister Kendall, now playing at Michigan, was a Miss Volleyball Award candidate that fall – and the Eagles just missed returning to the Semifinals last season with a five-set Quarterfinal loss.
An all-state first-team selection last season and third-teamer as a freshman, Murray is widely-regarded as one of the nation’s top juniors. Despite spending two weeks this season playing with USA Volleyball’s under-18 national team – she helped it to bronze at the FIVB World Championships in Mexico – Murray has totaled 583 kills over 108 games this fall with a .560 kill percentage and .451 hitting percentage, and she also has 77 aces. She has committed to sign with national power Nebraska, which is ranked No. 11 this week by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and won the most recent of its five Division I championships in 2017.
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2021-22 Honorees
Nov. 11: Abby VanderKooi, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian - Report
Nov. 4: Arianne Olson, Holland West Ottawa cross country - Report
Oct. 28: Jack Guggemos, Okemos soccer - Report
Oct. 21: Sachiv Kumar, Northville tennis - Report
Oct. 14: Kate Brody, Grand Blanc golf - Report
Oct. 7: Lilly Nelson, Negaunee tennis - Report
Sept. 30: Stella Chapman, Ann Arbor Pioneer swimming - Report
Sept. 23: Riley Hough, Hartland cross country - Report
Sept. 16: Josie Bloom, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Report
PHOTOS courtesy of Terry Jacoby/We Love Ann Arbor (top) and the Skyline volleyball program.
Story in Photos: 2024 Volleyball Division 1 & 4 Semifinals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 21, 2024
BATTLE CREEK – The matchups for this season’s Division 1 and 4 Volleyball Finals are set after Thursday’s Semifinals at Kellogg Arena, with the possibility of first-time champions in both divisions, a reigning champion playing to repeat in near-perfect fashion and a past champion pursuing its first title in more than a decade.
Saturday’s first two Finals will see the following face off at Kellogg Arena:
10 a.m. – Division 4 – Clarkston Everest Collegiate (37-0-1) vs. St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic (33-3-1)
Noon – Division 1 – Northville (40-2) vs. Rockford (40-9)
Everest is the reigning champion in Division 4 and attempting to become the first Finals winner to also finish undefeated since 2015. The Mountaineers face Our Lady, which will play in its first championship match.
Northville is seeking its first Finals title as well, and finished runner-up in 2022. Rockford is seeking its second championship, to go with its Class A title won in 2011.
Division 2 and 3 Semifinals will be played Friday. Click here for more.
Hockey Weekly Action Photos captured the following from Thursday’s action.
Northville’s Ella Craggs (9) sets for Elle Chenowith (16) during their team’s 25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 25-22 Division 1 Semifinal win over Bloomfield Hills Marian (45-8).
Marian’s Jayla Zayti works to get a ball past Northville’s Mallory Reck (10) and Chenowith (16). Zayti finished with six kills and seven blocks, while Reck had 18 kills and four blocks, and Chenowith had three blocks.
A Fenton player and Rockford's Grace Crelly (12) meet at the net of the second Division 1 Semifinal. Crelly finished with five kills in the Rams’ 25-12, 25-14, 25-8 victory.
The Rams' Mallory Wandel (16) elevates for a kill attempt against the Tigers (36-5). Wandel finished with 18 kills.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart’s Erin Judge (7) sends a kill attempt toward the Our Lady of the Lake side of the court. Judge finished with 13 kills, but the Lakers prevailed 24-26, 25-22, 26-11, 26-28, 15-8. The Irish finished 42-5-2 this fall.
Clarkston Everest Collegiate’s Emmerson Phyle (5) serves during her team’s 25-10, 25-16, 25-13 sweep of Hancock to open the Division 4 Semifinals on Thursday. Phyle had a pair of aces during the match.
Hancock’s Brooke Koskela (13) puts a ball through an Everest block. Koskela finished with 10 kills for the Gremlins (25-7-2).
TOP PHOTO Our Lady of the Lake’s Nora Proos sends a spike into the block of Judge and another teammate Thursday.