How have you managed to become a successful student and Division I athlete?
Murray: "Time Management- lots of time management. We have many great facilities here and great advisors who keep us on track. They give you the tools, and all you really have to do is work hard on and off the field - especially in the classroom. It's not as hard as it seems, it's just a lot of hours of work. And you have to keep organized."
How have you changed/grown as a player since freshman year?
Murray: "Physically, I've gotten a lot stronger, even though I'm not the most talented. But I've definitely grown mentally. The game is light years faster than it was at the club or high school level. It took at least a year to get used to it. I got tossed into the mix pretty much right away as a freshman, so I got to learn on my feet. That was also one of the reasons I came here was that I could play right away. Growing mentally is the biggest thing - having to think smarter and make quick decisions on the ball."
"It was a learning curve and a lot of stresses early on, but that's why the coaches are there. The coaches are always there challenging you mentally, making you think two steps ahead. My challenge here is trying to focus for 90 straight minutes, and it's finally coming together here toward the end of the season and my career."
What has been your biggest accomplishment?
Murray: "Being a four-year letterwinner was awesome. There aren't too many of us any more - at least in the 'old' era. There might be one or two, so it's nice to be a four-year starter. That's a personal victory for me."
If you were to give any advice to incoming student-athletes, what would you say?
Murray: "I'd give two pieces of advice. First is specific to the men's soccer team, trust everything the coaches are saying. They are smarter than you, they know what they're doing and they've won national championships. Second, pick a school you can go to without playing sports. You never know if you're going to tear an ACL or not be able to play. A lot of my roommates had to quit the team, but stayed at school because they absolutely loved Pitt. If I were ever to be out for the year, I'd stay here because it's the best school- I love it."
How have you grown as a leader on the team?
Francis: "I've always had a very strong, dominant personality. I think growing up over the past four years, I've definitely learned how to use my personality, lead others, be a better role model and really focus on what I'm doing as a person and how others take it. I've also learned how to constructively help other people and not come off as cocky, but actually use the knowledge and experience I've gained over the past four years and help convey it to everyone else. On the field, I'm a huge competitor and always have been, but more so now because I have a ton of experience. Through my play and practice, I can now help other people bring their best and always give 100 percent."
Do you have any highlights or defining moments of your soccer career at Pitt?
Francis: "During our final home game at senior night, it was a really cool for game for me. I was playing against one of the girls I played club soccer with since I was five. She took a shot in the last seconds of my final game on the field and it was a big time save for me. That was awesome. Just being able to do that against someone I've known since I was five, in a place that I love and that has made me who I am today."
What role has academics played durin your time at Pitt?
Francis: "Academics are important to me, and my GPA is really important. When school isn't going right, then nothing is going right for me. So just having the tutors here and knowing that there is someone else here to talk to aside from my professors and TA's who actually understand that I'm an athlete and have time constraints is a huge part of why I was successful as a student."
Your final season is just about over, but do you have anything else you're looking forward to this year?
Francis: "I'm really looking forward to being a 'normal' student. I've loved being a student-athlete, it's made me who I am, but I've never really experienced Pitt as a school, not having commitments time wise. And the school is the whole reason I came here - soccer played a bit of a part, but I fell in love with the university. So I'm really excited to experience Pitt without all of the time constraints and craziness that is involved with athletics."