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Head Coach Mike Murphy took over the volleyball program at Waltham High School
in the Fall of 2004. Since then he has guided the program through progressively
improving seasons, including a trip to the second round of the tournament in 2006.
He has never dipped below .500 in his league and last year finished 3rd overall
in the Greater Boston League and was the only GBL team to beat eventual league
champions Peabody.
In addition to strong performances
on the court, Murphy has stressed high achievement in the classroom. The program
has responded with all three 2005 teams (varsity, JV and JV-B) earning MIAA Gold
Level status. The 2005 varsity team also earned the American Volleyball Coaches
Association (AVCA) GamePlan Team academic award for maintaining a 3.30 GPA all
year long. Many of his athletes are members of the WHS National Honor Society. Coach
Murphy also created and maintains walthamvolleyball.com, the team website. This
site won the Web Category and was a finalist for the AVCA's 2005-2006 Grant Burger
Media Award. The other category winners were all media covering NCAA Division
1 volleyball programs.  Prior
to coaching Waltham High School, Murphy served as the Head Coach of the Mass Bay
Community College Men's and Women's Volleyball teams. He created and launched
the volleyball program at this school and guided both teams to the tournament
in his first season, Spring 2001. He coached the Fall 2001 season before leaving
due to full-time work commitments. Murphy also served briefly as a volunteer assistant
coach for the Waltham High School Boy's Volleyball team during the late 1990s.
Coach
Murphy started his volleyball playing career at Waltham High School with the boys
team in 1986 and continued through 1988. He played Opposite Hitter/Utility Setter
in a 5-1 system. He went on to play with numerous intramural teams at the University
of Southern California, and later with competitive and recreation leagues in Massachusetts. As
a Waltham High School coach, he has successfully undergone background checks.
Murphy has also completed many clinics and courses in volleyball and coaching.
These include the American Sports Education Program/NFHS/MIAA coaching course
and tests as required by the MIAA. He has aslo completed the USA Volleyball Coaching
Accrediation Program Level 1 course. Furthermore, he is a member of the following
professional volleyball coaching organizations and abides by their codes of ethics.
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