The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/644580
MARCH 2016 ■ 61 admission, a reflection of the principles of the one figure that most shaped her destiny as a member of the Pack hoops program: Kay Yow. "I love everything that Coach Yow stood for, and I always dreamed of being a part of this program," she said. "I wanted to rep- resent myself in a way that reflected what Coach Yow stood for. While that wasn't necessarily displayed on the court, I could do that within the relation- ships I had with my teammates and through other relationships outside sports." Moser played on a Williams High School team that won the Class 3A state title her senior year, but it was another hoops event that helped seal her commitment to, one day, possibly wearing a red- and-white uniform herself. "In December [of my senior year], my aunt, Jami Henson, died from breast cancer," she explained. "I wanted to do something to honor her legacy, because she was so full of life. "I had a senior project to do, and I came up with the idea of having a Hoops 4 Hope benefit game at my high school." The game, an annual event be- gun by Yow in 2006 to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness, had taken on even more significant meaning following Yow's own passing in 2009. Despite some doubters, Moser arranged for the game to be held in February 2012 between Wil- liams and East Guilford High School, from Yow's hometown of Gibsonville. The origi- nal goal was to raise at least $5,000. The event, with contributions from throughout the community, wound up pulling in close to $12,000 — the most ever raised by any- one at the high school level at that time. Administrators of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund were so impressed with Moser's achievement that they invited her and her mother to the NCAA championship game in Denver, where Moser had the opportu- nity to meet Harper, who was beginning her fourth year at NC State. Six months later, Moser was a freshman engineering student in Raleigh and played for the club basketball team on campus, which was coached by women's varsity team manager Chris Sullivan. "Chris told me the women were having open tryouts — and I thought he was kid- ding, because that usually doesn't happen," Moser recalled. "Even my dad had told me to go try out when I first got to NC State, and I told him that didn't happen. "I was nervous — I didn't even know which door to go in at Reynolds to get to the court. But there was also a feeling of peace, like I was supposed to be there. I just tried to stick to what I knew and work as hard as I could. And I think the Lord put an extra little touch on my shooting hand that day because I shot the ball really well." Out of eight girls participating in the open tryout, Moser and one other were invited back for a second workout in late September. "I was walking to chemistry class a few days later, and I got a call from Coach Kel- lie," Moser said. "She said, 'It isn't going to be glamorous, and you're probably not going to play a lot, but we have a spot on the team if you want it.' I called my dad, and he's not super emotional, but I could hear his voice kind of catch up. "He just said, 'No way! That's awe- some!' It was something we'd talked about forever … a dream come true." Having a purpose — it's a continuing theme in Moser's outlook and motivation, one she seeks to impart through her role as a scout team player, responsible for imitat- ing Pack opponents. "The better I can mimic the op- posing players, the better our play- ers can be ready to face them," she said. She's also been an active mem- ber of Athletes in Action (AIA), a commitment that has become so meaningful that she's currently torn in deciding what direction to take upon graduation next May, debating between pursuing a Ph.D. after being accepted into grad school or defer schooling for a year to take a position with AIA. She may not be the most cel- ebrated basketball player in NC State's long history of hoops ac- complishments. She will be re- membered more for the many baking products she showers teammates with on birthdays and holidays, the offers of rides to the mall, the words of encouragements when coaches are voicing displea- sure over an unforced turnover or missed box out, the leadership in Bible study and pre-game devo- tion, and the friendly advice and council available to anyone, anytime. "It's just so admirable, what she does," classmate Ashley Eli said. "She's a great role model for everyone." "She has that motherly touch with the younger players," Moore noted. "It's hard to find people with those qualities nowa- days. She has a lot of the same qualities as Coach Yow, and she doesn't just talk it — she lives it. I think Kaley sets an example for all of us, on and off the court." "I just want to be remembered by how I lived my life," Moser said. "That at the end of the day, we know the most important thing is our relationship with Christ and our relationship with others. "I just hope I live that out and encourage others to live that out." ■ "I love everything that Coach Yow stood for, and I always dreamed of being a part of this program. I wanted to represent myself in a way that reflected what Coach Yow stood for. While that wasn't necessarily displayed on the court, I could do that within the relationships I had with my teammates and through other relationships outside sports." ■ Moser After winning a state title at Williams High in Burlington in 2012, Moser earned a spot on NCSU's team through an open tryout. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS