OGDEN — Rose Moore had thousands of dollars sitting on the table. All she had to do was enter the transfer portal.

Instead, she stayed in Ogden.

“There’s no doubt in my mind if she went last year, she would have probably made $60,000, $70,000,” volleyball head coach Jeremiah Larsen said.

It has become a common practice for college athletes, but entering the transfer portal would have meant leaving the team she has grown with over the past five years.

SAM PLUIM, for WSU Athletics

“I just wanted to stay loyal to my coaches and my team,” Moore said. “It’s not always about money. You have your whole life to go make money. And my coaches I really trust with my life. They know everything about my life … These people actually really do care about me.”

Her journey to Weber State began when she was young. After watching her sister play volleyball, Moore took up the sport in seventh grade. She also played soccer but stuck with volleyball at Skyridge High School in Lehi to avoid playing in the rain.

She stacked accolades at Skyridge, including the 2021 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American Honorable Mention and appearances on the AVCA Phenom Lists.

Moore said she used to be “a little weirdo and so socially awkward.” Her head coach said he saw the same thing, describing Moore as insecure and goofy when she arrived, but said she’s now confident in who she is.

Moore once looked to the veterans around her to learn responsibility and accountability. Now, she’s that example for her younger teammates.

Maleek Diaz, Eastern Washington Athletics

“I think she has so much discipline, just like at conditioning and at lifting,” said freshman Sophia Sparrow. “It really shows with her play. Like, how consistently good she is on the court.”

Fellow freshman Lexie Carlson pointed to her drive, saying Moore’s leadership has shown up in a “quiet sense” and “action-driven way” of doing whatever is best for the team.

“She wants to be good for not just herself but for the team,” Carlson said, “and I think that’s something you don’t find often.”

Moore said leadership includes reading her teammates and turning their mistakes into funny comments or cracking jokes.

Stacia Barker is in her fourth year playing with Moore. She praised her leadership and reliability on and off the court.

SAM PLUIM, for WSU Athletics

“I know if I just call her up, she will do anything that you need from her,” Barker said. “If that involves having someone to talk to, or going and doing a little side quest, she is always there for you.”

Throughout Moore’s college career, she has taken on new roles and performed well at every position she has played. That growth was part of why she wanted to stay at Weber, saying she did not want to take the coaching she received and “peace out.”

Teammate Maggie Larsen called Moore the best and hardest hitter and the highest jumper on the team, reaching 10-foot-8. She said Moore’s ability forces opponents to game plan for her, creating opportunities for the rest of the Wildcats.

“When you’re playing against someone that good, you kind of have to adapt or die,” Maggie Larsen said. “So she makes us all better because they have to either figure it out or just get destroyed.”

Yet Moore is reluctant to describe herself the same way. Her head coach called her one of the best players in the country, but Moore quickly pushed that spotlight away.

“He’s over-exaggerating. There’s no way,” she said. “If that is true — I don’t know if it is true, but it’s because of my team. You have to pass a ball, you have to set a ball before you can even hit a ball.”

She is more open to admitting she is the best in the Big Sky Conference — if her end-of-season stats show it.

Her stats stood out last season. Despite the Wildcats having four seniors, the then-junior finished with a team high in sets played, matches played, matches started, points, kills, total attacks and service aces. In the Big Sky, she was fifth in kills and aces and third in points.

Moore entered Tuesday’s match at Idaho State at 109th nationally in kills per set at 3.63.

Moore could have taken that production elsewhere. College volleyball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation. According to NIL-NCAA.com, 10 schools averaged NIL awards of at least $60,000 in 2025. The University of Michigan led at $87,133.

That is money Weber State cannot match.

“We don’t have a ton of money and resources at Weber, just as a mid-major college,” Maggie Larsen said. “She’s definitely good enough to go to a Power 4 … and make a lot more money. So it just goes to her loyalty and her character, that she’s not in it for the money.”

For Moore, Weber means more than money.

“Weber State is my home. I love this place,” she said. “I look back to when I first came and I think I’m a completely different person. These people have made me who I am today. And all of my closest, best friends are from here.”

She also saw a Weber team full of competitive players and trusted her coaches to help them become strong, independent women off the court.

Jeremiah Larsen said Moore is an example of what it means to be a college athlete and Weber State Wildcat, something he believes will set an example for his young team.

Her teammates echoed that. Barker pointed to Moore’s fiery presence on the court, while Carlson highlighted her competitiveness and willingness to play without seeking personal recognition. Sparrow pointed to her kindness and ability to hold teammates accountable.

With only a few months left in her college playing career, Moore plans to explore opportunities to continue playing. That could come in the United States or possibly in Europe or Asia, depending on fit. For now, she just wants to play.

“I’m gonna keep going until my body falls apart,” she said. “Because I’m like, you can only play this sport for such a little amount of time in your life. You can have a job the rest of your life.”