Cedars, Spring 2021

But then a phone call with her sister changed the trajectory of Murphy’s life. “What gives you life?” she asked Murphy. “I love to serve, and I love volleyball,” Murphy said. She went online that night and began searching for a new job – a new start. A varsity volleyball assistant coaching job at Cedarville University was the first thing to pop up on the NCAA job market. She had completely forgotten about the statement she had made to her mom after getting injured. “This is ridiculous,” she thought. Murphy immediately wrote a letter to head coach Greg Smith introducing herself and telling him how Cedarville had essentially been her dream school since her sophomore year of college. “If I ever got a chance to be a part of it, it would make my world,” she told him. She got a call within a day. She got the job within a month. Now, Murphy sits at her desk in the varsity volleyball suite at Cedarville University. She took the spot from the very person who got her there: Abby Michalski. Michalski was the assistant varsity volleyball coach to Doug Walters from 2017-2019, after a successful career with the Lady Jackets from 2013-2016. Her success on the court overflowed to her character off the court as she played a huge part in bringing Murphy to Christ. “She was such a light here [at Cedarville],” says Murphy about her predecessor. When Michalski heard Murphy got her former position following her own departure from the program, the significance didn’t hit her right away. When Michalski called Murphy to congratulate her on the position, neither understood why they had each other’s numbers in their phones already. Murphy was the one to finally put it together. “It was you,” she said. “I can’t believe that was you,” Michalski said back. “You don’t know what you did for me,” Murphy told her. “I got really teary eyes just sitting in the office that day.” The last time the two had connected was about six months after their initial interaction. “She called me because she had found the note that I had given her and said, ‘Hey, just wanted you to let you know that I just committed my life to Christ,’” said Michalski. “It was just cool. The time that we had played her, it was obvious that God was already working on her heart.” Murphy said, “I think the Lord planted a seed so long ago and is now seeing it come to flourish. Now I understand why all of my plans didn’t work out.” “I love Callie, I love her heart,” says Michalski. “Obviously I still support all of who she is and so excited she is a part of Cedarville volleyball. And just that God has done what He’s done in her life and then also what an encouragement that has been to my faith and relationship with God.” Faith and volleyball have converged for Murphy. She is able to use all the Lord taught her through the hurt she has experienced for the good of the girls on her team. Every day, she gets to minister to them while being totally immersed in the sport she’s loved all her life at the same time. And she does it with the letter that started it all hanging beside her on the wall. “Isn’t that just like the neatest thing ever!” says Michalski. “Anyways, God is the best.” Abigail Hintz is a junior Journalism major and the Sports and Digital Editor for Cedars. She loves reading, playing Spikeball with her friends and watching soccer 24/7. Spring 2021 23 Photos by Jacob Brethauer Callie Murphy directs the team on the court during a match (left) and explains a drill to her team in training.