ANN
ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 17,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 38th year of
honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade
today announced Harper Murray of
Skyline High School in Ann Arbor,
Mich. is the 2022-23 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of
the Year. Murray won the prestigious award for her accomplishments
on and off the court, joining an impressive group of former
Gatorade National Volleyball Players of the Year who have combined
for more than 91 gold medals and 13 National Championships.
Murray was surprised with the trophy by her family, coaches and
teammates at school. Check out a video of the surprise here.
The Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes athletes not
just for their excellence on the playing surface, but for their
commitment in the classroom and impact in their community. Murray
beat out nearly half a million other student-athletes who play high
school volleyball nationwide, topping the list of state winners in
volleyball who collectively boast an incredible list of
accomplishments, including 45 with signed National Letters of
Intent to play volleyball at Division I colleges/universities and
19 with a GPA of 4.0 and above.
"Murray has been a star since delivering 700 kills in her debut
high school season," said John Tawa,
the national high school and club writer for VolleyballMag.com.
"She's just so fast and vertically explosive that it's hard to get
in front of her. Even when a defense is set, her arm swing is so
electric, it eats defenses up. She also has every shot in the book;
give her a set and she will score no matter where she is on the
floor. Despite her dynamic offensive skill set, Murray is a
complete player. She makes passing look effortless and her quick
feet allow her to pursue with abandon. She's a natural leader who
not only wants the pressure—she thrives on it."
The 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter amassed 726 kills and 409
digs this past season, leading the Eagles (38-9) to the Division 1
regional semifinals. Murray also recorded 86 service aces, 44
assists and 40 blocks. She posted a .519 kill percentage and a .405
hitting percentage on the attack. She was named "Best Spiker" at
the Under-19 Pan Am Cup in Tulsa,
Okla., in August, where she helped the U.S. team to the gold
medal. The state's Miss Volleyball winner, Murray was named a First
Team All-American by both MaxPreps and the American Volleyball
Coaches Association. She concluded her prep volleyball career with
2,488 kills and 1.460 digs and also earned an AAU U17 national
title in club play.
A member of Ann Arbor Schools'
Rising Scholars Leadership Program, designed to create access and
opportunity for underrepresented yet high achieving students,
Murray has volunteered extensively for the Vada Murray Endowed Fund
for Cancer Research, named for her late father. She has also served
as a lead coach for the Skyline Rising Eagle Volleyball Clinic.
Murray has maintained a 3.62 GPA in the classroom. Taking
advantage of NCAA early signing rules, Murray inked a financial-aid
agreement that paved the way for her to enroll at the University of Nebraska, where she will play
volleyball. She graduated from high school in December and will
attend classes in the spring semester.
In addition to excellence on and off the field of play, Gatorade
Players of the Year also pay it forward for the next generation. As
part of Gatorade's Play it Forward initiative, Murray will receive
a grant to give to one of Gatorade's social impact partners –
Athlete Ally, Laureus USA, Move
United, Women's Sports Foundation and Up2Us Sports – supporting
Gatorade's ambition to fuel the future of sport.
"What makes this award special is we look at the whole athlete,
not just their on-court achievements," said President and General
Manager of Gatorade Michael Del Pozzo. "People like Harper
demonstrate how athletes can make a difference and play a vital
part in fueling the future of sport."
Each year, a selection committee evaluates the nation's top
talent to choose one state winner from each of the 50 states as
well as Washington D.C., in 12
different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross
country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and
girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In all, 608
athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one
national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program,
check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit
playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on
Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at
instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.
About Gatorade
The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), meets
the needs of consumers who participate in sports and fitness,
through brands that include Gatorade, Propel, Muscle Milk, Evolve
and Fast Twitch. The solutions they provide are driven by a deep
understanding of the unique occasions and needs across athletic
activity. Gatorade, their marquee brand, is underpinned by a
57-year history of studying the best athletes in the world, and
sports nutrition research by the Gatorade Sport Science Institute,
allowing it to provide scientifically formulated products that meet
athletes' needs both on and off the field. For more information and
a full list of products, please visit www.gatorade.com.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion
times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the
world. PepsiCo generated more than $79
billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary
beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's,
Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and
SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of
enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that
generate more than $1 billion each in
estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages
and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+
is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability
and human capital at the center of how we will create value and
growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring
positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit
www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and
LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
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SOURCE The Gatorade Company