STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The Penn State Lady Lions are back in action following the program's most successful season in a decade.
Four players from last year's team returned, including guard Mariah Murray, a standout player in her day at Dunmore High School. In the team’s season opener vs. Bucknell, Murray had a career-high 28 points and a career-high eight 3-pointers. Now in her Redshirt Sophomore season, Murray has a chance to become a focal point of the team this season and beyond.
“Moriah is such a selfless leader,” said head coach, Carolyn Kieger. “She really just wants to put Penn State on the map, and she wants to win… Biggest change I've seen in her is her confidence. You know, she just demands the team's attention when she speaks, which I think just speaks volumes for how much she's grown in a year,” said Kieger.
Murray played 32 minutes in the team’s season opener, more than she played in a single game all of last season. Many of the team’s upperclassmen leaders either graduated or transferred at the end of the 2023 season, leaving Murray with the opportunity to be selected as a team captain in her second year on the team.
“For me, being a transfer, I've looked up to Mariah, Ali, Jayla,” said freshman center, Gracie Merkel. “You know, all of them- they've really stepped up and took the transfers under their wings, the freshman under their wings and, you know, they're just being really vocal, helping us out whenever we need,” she said.
Through three games so far this season, Murray has played a team high 91 minutes, averages a team high 20.7 points per game, and is a perfect 10/10 on free throws. Through all the roster turnover, Murray’s impact this season can be a stabilizing force.
“I know there's a lot of us and this is a whole new environment, a whole new system. To have players who are very personable, it makes the whole transition a lot easier,” said freshman forward, Cam Rust.
Although it’s early in the season, the team and head coach seem to have trust in rallying behind Murray.
“I can't say enough about how she's developed as first and foremost, a leader,” said Keiger. “She came in last year, played her role, played spot minutes for us, obviously was a great shooter this off-season. She really worked on being a vocal leader. She's the best shooter in my mind in the country, catch and shoot. But her teammates obviously are going to keep having the confidence in her to find her and having that inside, outside presence is going to be huge for us this year,” Kieger said.