Salem softball head coach Kierston Garner announced on Tuesday, Sept. 1, that Breanna Murphy was named as the program’s graduate assistant.

Murphy became a part of a Salem program that won at least 20 games per season between 2015 and 2019, under the direction of Garner and her mentor Scott Long. Garner led the Spirits to a 9-5 mark in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic drew the season to a close in the midst of a nine-game winning streak—which tied a program record.

Murphy joined the Salem softball program after double majoring in psychology and criminal science at USA South Conference rival Averett. Murphy, who graduated in May 2020, earned a bachelor of science in psychology with a concentration in clinical and counseling psychology as well as a bachelor of science in criminal justice. She maintained a 3.17 GPA during her four years at Averett and served on the student-athlete academic board from 2016-19.

Murphy also took an active role in student government, serving as the SGA secretary from 2017-20, and volunteered over 50 hours in the Dan River Region. She was named to the Dean’s List in the fall of 2019.

On the field, Murphy was a lifetime .243 hitter with 53 hits, 28 RBI, nine doubles and two home runs to her credit. She capped off her career with a .337 on-base percentage and a .312 slugging percentage.

Her best individual season for the Cougars came in 2019, where she posted a .339 batting average after finishing 19-of-56 from the plate. Murphy ended the campaign with nine RBI, three doubles and home run, which resulted in a .446 slugging percentage and a .433 on-base percentage.

Murphy was also an integral part of the 2017 unit that captured the USA South Conference title and reached the NCAA Tournament. Named to the league’s all-tournament team, Murphy started in 36 of 39 games and posted single-season career-best marks in at bats (109), hits (27), RBI (15), runs (13), doubles (4) while posting a .352 on-base percentage, .312 slugging percentage and .248 batting average.