Jenna Moore first stepped onto the volleyball court in middle school, but since then, the sport has taken her through ups and downs that she will cherish forever.
Clemson recruited Moore in her senior year of high school and began her journey with Clemson Athletics in the fall 2020 season.
As she prepares to enter life after college, she reflected on her time with Clemson volleyball in an interview with The Tiger.
“My favorite memory is any time spent with my teammates,” she said. “We always made those fun. Just being together was always fun.”
Moore attributed the pre-game rituals, like dinners or plane rides, to how her team was able to bond so well, saying, “a lot of my favorite memories come from the locker room.”
From film to warmups to early morning travel times, being an athlete gave her the exposure to go through a demanding schedule like no other. The locker room is where she and her teammates spent most of their days, in or out of season.
While being an athlete has its perks, the volleyball player alluded to the difficulty of balancing a personal life with student-athlete responsibilities. The setter acknowledged that time management and conflict resolution were crucial to balance school and the challenges volleyball may present.
“Overcoming adversity with each other as a team was one of the most valuable life lessons I learned,” she said. “If something comes up or something isn’t going our way, going through that as a team is really important.”
The Greenville, South Carolina, native knew it took her full effort to be present with the team and push through challenging times both on and off the court.
“One of the biggest things I also learned is that being selfless in the way that you do will benefit the group as a whole rather than just doing things that will benefit me.”
Moore is greater than just a student-athlete title. While she is grateful to have met so many of her friends through her sport, being a college student was a tough battle in the beginning, especially during her freshman season when COVID-19 was rampant.
“Balance was really hard at first,” Moore said. “We had school, volleyball and no social life. We had to stay in our bubbles, so that was really challenging when trying to meet new people and adjust to campus.”
Moore has made ACC Academic Honor Roll twice for her time in the classroom. She credits the enforcement of time management and sticking to her academics, utilizing the large resources of athletic tutors and study hours. “I don’t know if I would be where I am today academically, graduating in three years, without my advisor,” she said.
Moore racked up 119 assists in 2022. Despite suffering a concussion this past fall, she had 22 digs, 14 total points and eight kills in her senior season. This past fall was the first time since 2018 that the Tigers appeared in a postseason tournament.
As for her future aspirations, she is graduating in May with a degree in marketing and plans to pursue a career in real estate.
Although she is retiring from the sport she loves, Moore is excited for the future ahead, even if graduation carries some bittersweetness.
“I will miss volleyball, my teammates and coaches, of course.”