Nebraska volleyball star Harper Murray pleads no contest to DUI as part of plea deal

Nebraska volleyball star Harper Murray pleaded no contest to first-offense DUI on Monday as part of a plea deal, according to a report from the Omaha World-Herald.

Harper is set to ask for a probation at her sentencing next month, according to her attorney Brad Roth. Roth released a statement regarding Harper’s next steps.

“She understands there’s going to be consequences as a result of that probation and she’s more than willing to accept those consequences,” Roth said of Harper.

Harper was previously arrested and charged with DUI, an unlawful act of the Motor Vehicle Operator’s License Act and careless driving on April 5.

She was also charged with a misdemeanor for shoplifting for an incident stemming from May 2.

Roth said Murray has applied for pretrial diversion on the shoplifting case. If approved, she would be required to perform community service and stay out of legal trouble for six months and prosecutors would then dismiss the case.

But, the DUI case was at the forefront.

According to the Lincoln Journal Star, police said Harper had a blood-alcohol content level of 0.169%, about double the legal limit.

In exchange for her plea, taken by video conferencing Monday, the prosecutor dropped charges for careless driving and carrying a false ID.

Outside the courthouse, Roth said Harper took numerous steps regarding the issues that he believes led to the charges.

“Some of those steps she has taken I suggested,” Roth said. “Many she did on her own. I’m extremely proud of her.”

As far as her status with the team, Harper’s future is unknown. She did not appear in Nebraska’s spring match against Denver last month in Kearney.

After the game, head coach John Cook declined to discuss Murray’s status moving forward. Murray was a big part of the team’s run to the national championship last season.

She ranked second on the team with 3.23 kills per set. She also had a .237 hitting percentage to go with 2.07 digs per set and a team-high 36 service aces. In fact, Murray finished the season with the highest kills per set average by a Husker freshman since Kadie Rolfzen (3.46) in 2013.

For her efforts, Harper Murray was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in the 2023 campaign. She was also selected for the All-Big Ten First Team, AVCA All-Region Team and AVCA All-America Third Team.