Photo by: Molly McPherson
Murphy A Helper On And Off The Court
09/28/23 | Women's Volleyball, @GoDucksMoseley
Georgia Murphy is an all-time great libero for Oregon volleyball, and an aspiring nurse who interned this summer at a clinic for members of the community in need.
It's the nature of a libero to toil in the background while others on the front line get more attention.
As a star in the back row for the Oregon volleyball team, Georgia Murphy doesn't mind that — it suits her, even. The same mentality explains why her senior season with the Ducks is going to be just a little bit busier than her first four years.
Murphy, a fifth-year starter from The Woodlands, Texas, is the linchpin of Oregon's defense, and a catalyst for the offense. Her job is to keep balls off the floor, and execute deft passes that put setter Hannah Pukis in position to distribute the ball to the Ducks' many offensive weapons.
UO coach Matt Ulmer, whose team hosts Washington on Friday in Matthew Knight Arena, has high praise for Murphy. And he wishes she heard more of it, from other corners of the volleyball community. Because while Murphy racks up the main back-row defensive stat, digs — she averages 3.63 per set for her career — that doesn't come close to encapsulating her impact for the No. 6 Ducks.
"Every year I'm frustrated with the lack of recognition that Georgia gets," Ulmer said. "Because in my opinion she's one of the best liberos out there. We don't even chart serve-receive stats — like, it's not even calculated when you're talking about awards — and she's one of the very best at that. So she gets overlooked all the time."
Murphy is by nature a helper. Off the court, she's interested in a career in nursing. She spent parts of this past summer interning at a local clinic in Eugene-Springfield. And though the internship is technically over, Murphy intends to spend a night or two each week this fall helping out — amidst all her other priorities as a student-athlete.
"I would say that's my personality," said Murphy, a 2021 honorable mention all-American and two-time honorable mention all-Pac-12 player in her career. "I really enjoy taking pressure off other people. I love other people being happy, and other people being successful."
Ulmer said one of the central tenants of his program is "servant leadership." Murphy embodied that spirit this summer.
Her internship was with the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of Springfield, which for the last 20 years has provided health-care services to low-income members of the community. Along with Uxia Martinez Moral of the UO tennis team, Murphy spent her summer working at the clinic's front desk, helping manage the office and screen patients.
"Working with people that really needed the help and couldn't afford it, or weren't in a situation to go somewhere else, that was really important to us," Murphy said. "We really liked being a part of that, being able to help them."
The experience was so rewarding, they want it to continue. Now that Martinez Moral is back on campus from summer break and the volleyball team is back from a monthlong road trip, Murphy said they intend to resume their work with the clinic as volunteers this fall.
"We both agreed, we love the clinic so much and the people that work there so much, we want to continue doing that," Murphy said.
Doing so will require carving time out from an already busy schedule. Murphy, a double major in general science and psychology, was a member of the Pac-12's academic honor roll last fall. And her commitment to the volleyball program is time-intensive as well.
That she's intent on also making time to continue volunteering at the clinic, and pursuing a career in nursing, is no surprise to Ulmer.
"Georgia just loves being there for other people," he said. "So I can't think of a better field for her to be in. She's a perfect fit for that."
Murphy said her interest in nursing was sparked at an early age, when she learned her mother had worked in the field. That led to enrollment in science courses, which fanned the flames of her interest. And the summer internship only solidified her resolve to make a career of nursing once she's done playing volleyball.
First, though, she's finishing out her career with the Ducks, who are looking to build on last season's run to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. The UO women are off to a 12-1 start to this season, having spent the first four weeks on the road testing themselves against other top teams from around the country.
They kicked off Pac-12 play at home last week, with a win over Oregon State. And they're back in Matthew Knight Arena this weekend, to face UW on Friday and No. 7 Washington State on Sunday.
The team features an elite setter in Pukis, a dominant block led by Karson Bacon and Kara McGhee, and three elite hitters in Gabby Gonzales, Mimi Colyer and Morgan Lewis. And in the back row, there's Murphy, doing all the little things she can to put those teammates in position to succeed.
"There isn't any other libero I'd rather have than Georgia," Ulmer said. "Because she's so dependable, so accountable. She cares about everybody else, and she does her job, each and every day."
As a star in the back row for the Oregon volleyball team, Georgia Murphy doesn't mind that — it suits her, even. The same mentality explains why her senior season with the Ducks is going to be just a little bit busier than her first four years.
Murphy, a fifth-year starter from The Woodlands, Texas, is the linchpin of Oregon's defense, and a catalyst for the offense. Her job is to keep balls off the floor, and execute deft passes that put setter Hannah Pukis in position to distribute the ball to the Ducks' many offensive weapons.
UO coach Matt Ulmer, whose team hosts Washington on Friday in Matthew Knight Arena, has high praise for Murphy. And he wishes she heard more of it, from other corners of the volleyball community. Because while Murphy racks up the main back-row defensive stat, digs — she averages 3.63 per set for her career — that doesn't come close to encapsulating her impact for the No. 6 Ducks.
"Every year I'm frustrated with the lack of recognition that Georgia gets," Ulmer said. "Because in my opinion she's one of the best liberos out there. We don't even chart serve-receive stats — like, it's not even calculated when you're talking about awards — and she's one of the very best at that. So she gets overlooked all the time."
Murphy is by nature a helper. Off the court, she's interested in a career in nursing. She spent parts of this past summer interning at a local clinic in Eugene-Springfield. And though the internship is technically over, Murphy intends to spend a night or two each week this fall helping out — amidst all her other priorities as a student-athlete.
"I would say that's my personality," said Murphy, a 2021 honorable mention all-American and two-time honorable mention all-Pac-12 player in her career. "I really enjoy taking pressure off other people. I love other people being happy, and other people being successful."
Ulmer said one of the central tenants of his program is "servant leadership." Murphy embodied that spirit this summer.
Her internship was with the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of Springfield, which for the last 20 years has provided health-care services to low-income members of the community. Along with Uxia Martinez Moral of the UO tennis team, Murphy spent her summer working at the clinic's front desk, helping manage the office and screen patients.
"Working with people that really needed the help and couldn't afford it, or weren't in a situation to go somewhere else, that was really important to us," Murphy said. "We really liked being a part of that, being able to help them."
The experience was so rewarding, they want it to continue. Now that Martinez Moral is back on campus from summer break and the volleyball team is back from a monthlong road trip, Murphy said they intend to resume their work with the clinic as volunteers this fall.
"We both agreed, we love the clinic so much and the people that work there so much, we want to continue doing that," Murphy said.
Doing so will require carving time out from an already busy schedule. Murphy, a double major in general science and psychology, was a member of the Pac-12's academic honor roll last fall. And her commitment to the volleyball program is time-intensive as well.
That she's intent on also making time to continue volunteering at the clinic, and pursuing a career in nursing, is no surprise to Ulmer.
"Georgia just loves being there for other people," he said. "So I can't think of a better field for her to be in. She's a perfect fit for that."
Murphy said her interest in nursing was sparked at an early age, when she learned her mother had worked in the field. That led to enrollment in science courses, which fanned the flames of her interest. And the summer internship only solidified her resolve to make a career of nursing once she's done playing volleyball.
First, though, she's finishing out her career with the Ducks, who are looking to build on last season's run to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. The UO women are off to a 12-1 start to this season, having spent the first four weeks on the road testing themselves against other top teams from around the country.
They kicked off Pac-12 play at home last week, with a win over Oregon State. And they're back in Matthew Knight Arena this weekend, to face UW on Friday and No. 7 Washington State on Sunday.
The team features an elite setter in Pukis, a dominant block led by Karson Bacon and Kara McGhee, and three elite hitters in Gabby Gonzales, Mimi Colyer and Morgan Lewis. And in the back row, there's Murphy, doing all the little things she can to put those teammates in position to succeed.
"There isn't any other libero I'd rather have than Georgia," Ulmer said. "Because she's so dependable, so accountable. She cares about everybody else, and she does her job, each and every day."
Players Mentioned
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