Although Metea Valley’s Anna Murphy is relatively new to the sport of volleyball, she’s in the middle of things for the defending Class 4A state champions.
The 6-foot-1 junior middle hitter was elevated to varsity for the Mustangs’ run to the state title in 2021, practicing with the team at the end of the season.
But with a bevy of graduations off that heralded team, Murphy now finds herself playing alongside All-American outside Kira Hutson every match.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Murphy said. “All the girls get along really well. They’re all super supportive and nice. We’re like a family. I think (last year) made our connection better.”
Murphy helped the Mustangs sweep to a 25-18, 25-18 nonconference victory Tuesday at Oswego East, their second win over the Wolves already this season.
Murphy finished with two kills and two blocks for Metea Valley (6-1).
“She played really well at the JV level,” Metea coach Dave Macdonald
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said. “She deserves it. We gave her the opportunity to come train with us and go along for the ride (last season).”Murphy said she didn’t start playing volleyball until eighth grade, splitting time between volleyball, track and dance. She played her first season of club volleyball this winter.
In the spring, Murphy also advanced to state in the high jump for Metea.
“She’s a phenomenal athlete,” Macdonald said. “She’s coming around in volleyball. We wanted to get her out for volleyball. She’s tall.
“We were able to work through that and the dancing. We got the dancer out of her, the movements. Now she’s becoming more quick twitch. She’s doing well.”
Murphy knows she has some ground to make up in the sport, but being 6-1 with her athletic ability covers up the blemishes.
“I’m still learning a lot,” Murphy said. “I feel like I still need to catch up. I think I can make it work.”
Playing next to a dynamo like Hutson, studying her practice and preparation habits, has worked wonders for Murphy’s development.
“She’s really good,” Murphy said of Hutson. “I think I can learn a lot from her. She can help me out if I ever need anything. She’s really supportive. She’s a great teammate.”
Hutson had her typically strong match Tuesday, leading Metea with 11 kills. Zoe Jannisch added six kills and Camille Morrison had five.
The ability to spread things around the front row and not just rely on the 6-4 Hutson has been a mantra for the Mustangs for nearly a full year.
“If we want to be successful, we can’t always go to her,” Macdonald said. “It was around this time last year, we fed Kira a ridiculous amount in a three-set loss to Willowbrook at their tournament.
“I said, ‘Look at Kira right now. She’s exhausted.’ We have to have other options.”
After Metea cruised to the win in Tuesday’s first game, Oswego East (5-2) battled back to force a 14-14 tie in Game 2 before the Mustangs pulled away.
“Regardless of whether they’re the same team or not, they’re still a force to be reckoned with,” Oswego East assistant coach Chris LaCalamita said of Metea. “We have to keep our side under control.
“It gets down to discipline. Knowing who they’re playing against can be a mental battle. It’s definitely a learning experience in all aspects.”
Speaking of learning, after watching the action from the bench late last season, Murphy is in the mix as the Mustangs take another step in their title defense.
“I think helped a lot,” Murphy said of being called up at the end of the season. “It gave me an advantage. But this is a lot more fun. I like playing more than sitting on the bench.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.