Most Naperville Central students know Kelly Murphy as the Learning Commons Assistant. Volleyball players know her as a coach. But few realize she’s stood on an Olympic podium. Murphy was part of the USA volleyball team that took bronze in 2016. “I would say of like grandiose. You said, Oh my gosh, this is the Olympics,” Murphy said.
Murphy accomplishes a great playing career
Her road to the Olympics started with an introduction to volleyball through her mom, who was a coach. She had a talent for it, earning the title of National Gatorade Player of the Year in high school, then going on to play collegiately at the University of Florida.
After graduating, Murphy went pro, eventually landing on Team USA. She’d help them win the 2014 World Championship before heading to Rio for the 2016 Olympics. “Just how big of an event it was and that moment, and just walking into the arena and the cheers and all that stuff going on, that is probably the coolest thing I’ve experienced so far,” said Murphy.
In 2019, after a seven-year career, she decided to retire from playing. “When I was done with volleyball, I wanted to be cold turkey, like no volleyball. I wanted a clean break,” admitted Murphy. After a year off, Murphy eventually found herself at Naperville Central…but not in the gym.
A new opportunity for the former Olympian
“I saw an opening here in the library, and I was like, you know what? That feels right for me,” says Murphy. Head coach Roger Strausberger, who’d gotten wind of her medal-winning past, had been trying for years to bring her into the program.
“My goal was to try to get her back in the gym and back around the sport that she loved,” said Strausberger. This year, the timing finally felt right. For a program trying to rebuild confidence after difficult seasons, the impact was immediate – and the excitement of having an Olympian – instantly brought credibility. “I was blown out of the water. When I heard she was going to coach us this season, I was super excited,” said senior outside hitter Lucas Hayes.
For Murphy, coaching has been a completely different challenge from playing. “So learning how to vocalize things that normally I would have just done when I was playing, that’s been a challenge,” says Murphy. And the player perspective Murphy brings, Strausberger says, is invaluable. “She’s able to see what the other team is doing because it’s natural for her from being out on the floor as a player,” says Strausberger.
“She’s always smiling and happy…”
While her volleyball résumé speaks for itself, players say her positivity and confidence are what stand out most. “If you’ve got an Olympic medal behind you, that automatically ups your credibility scale,” said Strausberger. “She’s always smiling and happy, even when we’re down and losing. She doesn’t give up on us,” said Hayes.
Behind the constant encouragement is a deeper philosophy: “You’re never going to regret working hard,” said Murphy. Now, instead of competing for championships herself, Murphy is finding purpose in helping others grow through the game that shaped her life. “I want to see them get better,” said Murphy.
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