Marquette women's soccer lost Megan Murray for a month, but the Philipines gained her at the 2026 Asian Games

Murray spent a month away from her home base in Milwaukee nearly 6,000 miles away. Marquette women's soccer left the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl in Indianapolis, Ind., after a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Butler on Sept.

It marked the first of 10 Big East games they would play before the conference tournament. Head coach Chris Allen's Golden Eagles sat 4-1-5 and needed a huge boost to climb the conference standings; something Allen was hungry for after a seventh-place finish in the conference last season.

While the Golden Eagles traveled to their next game at the nation's capital against Georgetown, junior winger Megan Murray was on her way back from Japan to make her return with the team. Murray was returning from the 2026 Asian Games, where she helped the Philippines advance to the knockout rounds before they were eliminated by the eventual winners, Japan.

The 12-team tournament, hosted in Japan, became a month-long hiatus from Murray's collegiate season with Marquette. "I'm especially grateful to Coach Allen and the entire Marquette coaching staff for being so supportive," Murray said.

"They understood how important this opportunity was to me and encouraged me every step of the way." Although it wouldn't be his first choice to lose Murray midseason, Allen knew it wasn't even a question when she told him of her call-up. "I mean, what an unreal experience," Allen said.

"I never want to take any opportunities away, especially for her to potentially be playing at the Women's World Cup in Brazil next summer."

Murray featured in all four games for the Philippines in the 20th edition of the Asian Games and recorded an assist in a 2-0 victory over Hong Kong.

The experience gave Murray confidence in her ability to compete at the highest level, especially with the Philippines already qualified for the 2027 World Cup. However, Murray knew it was much more than just a tournament for her.

"Representing the Philippines means so much more to me than just soccer. It's incredibly personal because of my family's history," Murray said.

"I'm representing my grandparents, their sacrifices, their love for the Philippines and everything they worked so hard to give our family."