Former Nebraska Volleyball coach John Cook reflected on what Harper Murray needs to do to become unstoppable in the coming season. He said Murray now has the maturity and strength, but has to combine it with the urgency to fully step into her role as a leader and scorer this season.Ahead of the AVCA First Serve, where Nebraska faces Pittsburgh on August 22 (Friday) at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Cook reflected on his former student Harper Murray and what she needs to do to become a standout this season and lead the program on a championship run.During Cook’s interaction with Jeff Sheldon and Lincoln Arneal (via I-80 Club), he reflected on this, adding (51:16 onwards):“Harper is maturing physically..She’s gotten a lot stronger. She’s matured now. She’s got a lot of the distractions, I’ll call it interference, out of the way. So for her, I think she can really lock in and has a chance to be great this year. With Merritt [Beason] leaving and Lexi [Rodriguez] leaving, she knows the light’s on her.”“She’s used to that, and now I think she has the confidence and the strength and stamina to go through a whole season…She realizes she’s got two more shots to win a national championship..she realizes she’s running out of chances..I think there’s a sense of urgency for Harper now and a lot of that comes through maturity and growing up.”Ahead of the AVCA First Serve, Murray signed an NIL deal with Adidas, joining Nebraska football star Dylan Raiola and former Husker volleyball player Lexi Rodriguez among the prominent names.When Harper Murray shared an emotional post on former Nebraska Volleyball coach John Cook stepping down from programHarper Murray dring the Division I Women's Volleyball Semifinals 2024 (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)Harper Murray once shared an emotional post when former Nebraska volleyball head coach John Cook announced his retirement. Cook, who had led the program for 25 seasons, revealed his decision to step down and retire from coaching in January 2025.As Cook departed from the program, Harper Murray shared an emotional message on Instagram reflecting on her journey under him and the impact he has had on her life and career, writing:"When I committed to Nebraska, Coach made a promise to my mom and I that he would put everything he had into me and that he would make sure I had all the necessary tools to become the best version of myself..Coach helped make my dreams of being a collegiate volleyball player and an All-American come true.”"There were times when I wanted to yell at him (I might have once or twice), but even in the times when I struggled to accept criticism and take harsh feedback, I knew that behind all of it was a man who just wanted to make me better and watch me succeed,” she added. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostShe also shared that she had promised Cook she would bring home a national championship. While she couldn’t achieve it with him as coach, she remains committed to doing so and dedicating it to him in the remaining two years of her collegiate career.