For the 28-year old Murphy, who starred at Rutgers from 2014-17, it was fitting that she and the rest of Team USA came together at the Miller Training Complex on the Piscataway campus for the first time to begin preparations for the Games that kick off on July 25 – one day before the Opening Ceremonies – against Zambia.
 
While standing on the sun-bathed practice field earlier this month, Murphy said, "Yeah it's really cool. I train here in the offseason sometimes and so to be here at a camp in preparing for an Olympics is awesome and I'm just excited to be back for sure."
 
The highlight of Murphy's Rutgers career came during her final season at RU in 2017 when, as a redshirt junior, she started all 21 matches in net en route to being named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten after leading the conference in goals against average, save percentage and shutouts. Murphy began the year by registering nine straight shutouts behind a program-record 924:07 scoreless minutes. She became Rutgers' all-time shutout leader with her 45th career clean sheet in the 0-0 double-overtime draw with No. 7 West Virginia in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Murphy's season was capped by being named a 2017 NCAA First-Team All-American.
 
Murphy, who grew up a Rutgers fan tailgating at football games in her grandfather's RV, credits her experience at Rutgers playing for head coach Mike O'Neill as playing a vital role in laying the foundation for the success she would find down the road. 
 

"I had an amazing experience at Rutgers, the coaching staff there, the team, it was a great three years I spent there. I feel like it was the starting point to help me get to my professional career," she said.

"My experience here instilled great habits in me for which I'm very thankful. I learned a lot from the coaches here and I think overall the biggest thing was the support and the belief they had in me that I could go on and one day compete at the Olympics or in a World Cup on the biggest stage. Seeing how much they believed in me helped me to believe in myself. So I thank Rutgers a lot for that and for always being in my circle.

"I keep my circle tight and small and close so they're in there and I'm just thankful to have them," she continued. "I always joke that Coach Mike is like a second dad to me. I had him at PDA (Players Development Academy) and we've kept in great touch since being away from Rutgers."
 
In addition to picking up a wealth of victories and accolades at Rutgers, Murphy met her life partner and future husband, Chris Mirabelli, a four-time All-American javelin thrower for the track and field team. The pair tied the knot in Philadelphia in December 2023.
 
"He's been a huge support. Obviously I met him here at Rutgers. It's crazy to think that was seven, eight years ago now," she said. "With him being an athlete as well, he gets it. Not everyone gets it but he knows when I need to focus and get in the zone. So, he gives me my space when I need it and he's also there regardless of what the scoreboard says. At the end of the day he's always there, so I'm very thankful for that."
 
During Murphy's college recruitment, her decision came down to Rutgers and Penn State. While Rutgers was a successful Big East program back in 2014 when she was making her college choice, today the program stands among the nation's elite as a consistent Big Ten and national championship contender.
 
"I walk into the Rodkin Center and I'm like wow! This is amazing. I wish this was here when I was here," exclaimed Murphy.  "But I'm so happy that the current student-athletes get to experience it now and have that as a resource. A building you have to meet and study, recover, it's all in one and I think that just makes your overall experience as a student-athlete even that much better."
 
At the outset of her professional career, Murphy made the time to complete her degree in communication remotely, and it all began with a phone call to the same person who guided her academic journey during her days on campus, Rutgers Assistant Director of Academic Services Randi Larson.
 
"When I left to play overseas professionally, Randi was my point of contact and my biggest resource," said Murphy. "Back when I was a student-athlete at Rutgers, Randi made sure that with my travel schedule and not being around as much in class, she helped me with tutors and online classes. Academic support is available to all student-athletes which I think is great. So, yeah, without that support I don't think I would have been able to graduate."
 
Murphy's talents have been on display at the international level since 2013 when she began representing the United States Women's National Team (USWNT) at various youth levels, earning her first Senior National Team call-up in January of 2017 and becoming a consistent fixture in camps beginning in 2021. She immediately made her presence felt on the international stage with one of the most impressive goalkeeper debuts in USWNT history, earning the shutout in a 3-0 victory over Australia in Sydney on November 27, 2021.
 
She currently has 19 international caps with the senior team in which 15 of them ended in shutouts, making her the quickest USWNT goalkeeper in history to achieve 15 clean sheets. Murphy, who at 6-1 is the tallest goalkeeper in USWNT history, was a member of the 2023 Women's World Cup roster and the starting keeper for the U.S. U-20 World Cup team in 2016, leading the tournament in saves.
 
After forgoing her final year of college eligibility at Rutgers, Murphy started her pro career in France with Montpellier HSC in 2018 where she was named the top goalkeeper in the league. In 2019, she returned to the U.S. to play professionally in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), spending two seasons with the Seattle Reign. The past four seasons, Murphy has starred for the North Carolina Courage.
 
At some point during Team USA's march into the Stade de France for the opening ceremonies, in front of 80,000 fans and millions watching on TV, Murphy's thoughts will drift back to Rutgers and the impact the university has had on her life.
 
"I'm for sure a Jersey girl, my parents live 20 minutes from here and I grew up a Rutgers fan," she said. "I'm just really excited to be able to represent Jersey and Rutgers and obviously the USA," she said.
 
The Casey Murphy File

• 2024: Named to the U.S. Olympic Team roster
• 2023: Member of the FIFA Women's World Cup roster
• 2021: Continued her NWSL professional career with the North Carolina Courage from 2021 to present 
• 2019: Played her first of two seasons in the NWSL professional league for the Seattle Reign
• 2018: Began professional career in France, named French Division 1 Keeper of the Year
• 2017: NCAA First-Team All-American Selection
• 2017: Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten Selection
• 2016: Competed on U.S. U-20 National Team at FIFA Women's World Cup
• 2015: Competed on U-20 U.S. National Team  
• 2015: National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Second -Team All-American Selection
• 2014: Big Ten All-Freshmen Team Selection
• 2013: US Soccer U-18 National Team pool player      
• 2013: Signed with Rutgers as 4-star recruit out of Bridgewater-Raritan HS

A recipient of seven NJ Press Association Awards for writing excellence, John Beisser ('86) served as Assistant Director in the Rutgers University Athletic Communications Office from 1991-2006, where he primarily handled sports information/media relations duties for the Scarlet Knight football and men's basketball programs. In this role, he served as managing editor for nine publications that received either National or Regional citations from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). While an undergraduate at RU, Beisser was sports director of WRSU-FM and a sportswriter/columnist for The Daily Targum. From 2007-2019, Beisser served as Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Media Relations at Wagner College, where he was the recipient of the 2019 Met Basketball Writers Association "Good Guy" Award. Beisser resides in Piscataway with his wife Aileen (RC '95,) a four-year Scarlet Knight women's lacrosse letterwinner, and their 15-year old daughter Riley.