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Lillie Murphy (WTN: 16.8) didn’t recognize the number on her cell phone and thought it spam so she let it go to voicemail. But once she heard the message, her heart began racing a little bit.

Five-Star Junior Lillie Murphy Has Committed to Furman
© Contributed Photo

It was the first day college coaches could begin contacting Murphy by phone, and Furman University’s Michelle Dasso was the first coach to call.

The five-star junior from Knoxville, Tennessee didn’t have much prep time, but she immediately called Dasso back. Once they began talking, Dasso put Murphy more at ease.

The two weren’t complete strangers. Murphy’s high school teammate Maeve Thornton is a freshman on the Furman roster. Thornton’s dad, Dave, is Murphy’s private coach.

Murphy took her official visit to Furman in Greenville, South Carolina last October. After she left, she felt no pressure to commit. She waited until January to make her final decision.

“The coaches were unbelievable. That is a long time to leave an offer on the table, but I wanted to wait and be certain that this was what I wanted to do,” Murphy said. “But I knew pretty soon that Furman was my top choice.”