By Chloe Scheer
Georgia Murphy and Paula Cerame, the two liberos for the Orlando Valkyries, are making their mark in the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation season.
After impressive collegiate careers — both earning awards from their respective schools — Cerame and Murphy are continuing their standout-play in pro volleyball.
Cerame, a Puerto Rico native, started her career at the University of Florida and finished her last two seasons at Indiana University. Cerame started in all 32 matches her senior year and broke Indiana's season digs record. Adding to her impressive record of accomplishments, Cerame is also a member of the Puerto Rican National team. She has represented her country well, receiving seasonal honors during her pro career in Puerto Rico.
Murphy stems from the state of Texas and spent all her collegiate career at the University of Oregon. She racked up 1,989 digs and collected multiple PAC 12 honors during her time in Oregon. Murphy was drafted by the Valkyries in the second round of the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation Draft.
With Cerame and Murphy both stemming from high-level collegiate programs, they find themselves enjoying the competitiveness of playing in this new league.
“Being on the court with older girls that have played in so many different places and have so much more experience than you is a big change,” Murphy said. “Making the transition to play pro can be scary and intimidating but once you get in the gym the competitiveness just comes naturally.”
Through all the competition, Cerame and Murphy have found a new friendship and partnership.
“We are each other's biggest competitors, but we are also each other's best support system,” Cerame said. “We complement each other nicely and can communicate about what we see on the court and give feedback without feeling any sense of discomfort.”
Though Cerame and Murphy come from diverse backgrounds, they share a common goal.
“Defense wins games and I think the libero plays a big part in that, we can help orchestrate the defense to make sure everyone is doing their part,” Murphy said. “But it takes the whole team to play defense and that is what makes our team special — we are all defenders.”
Cerame and Murphy both try and bring something special to the court whenever they can — whether it’s digging balls or being the team's source of energy.
“Coach Amy (Pauly) has let us be ourselves on the court and that is so valuable,” Cerame said. “I am a very happy soul and that is what I bring to the court. Whether it is jumping or pushing someone when they get a huge block or kill, I will do whatever it takes to give the team energy.”
Defense is a mindset for both Cerame and Murphy. These two players set the tone for the rest of the team, which helps create a sense of urgency on the court.
“We all push each other so much during practice and that will translate into games,” Cerame said. “Defense ties everything together in its own special way and to see the team celebrate that on the court makes my job so much more fun.”
With the Valkyries being nine games into the season, Murphy has solidified the libero position. She has started in all nine matches and tallied a total of 142 digs for the season. Cerame, on the other hand, comes into matches as a defensive specialist and makes clutch saves to help put the Valkyries in a better position to win.