ASU Volleyball: Moreno takes control of struggling squad

TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 14: The Arizona State Sun Devils mascot 'Sparky' performs during the college football game against the Washington Huskies at Sun Devil Stadium on November 14, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Huskies 27-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 14: The Arizona State Sun Devils mascot 'Sparky' performs during the college football game against the Washington Huskies at Sun Devil Stadium on November 14, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Huskies 27-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Assistant coach Carlos Moreno has taken control of the ASU Volleyball team with absence of head coach Sanja Tomasevic due to childbirth.

In an already tumultuous season, ASU volleyball is now without its head coach.

“Nothing has really changed,” Carlos Moreno, ASU’s interim head coach, said. “We’re doing the same things, we want the girls to keep the same system.”

Coach Tomasevic took a leave of absence due to child labor, so Moreno has stepped in as the interim head coach for the volleyball team. His first game with the team was last Friday against Oregon State when the team lost in four sets.

Although he is now technically leading this team, Moreno says his job is similar to what it was before Tomasevic’s absence.

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“It is just the same thing, but I get to call the timeouts and challenges,” Moreno said. “It’s just the same thing. I don’t see myself as the head coach, I see myself how I am — as an assistant coach.”

Despite her temporary departure from the games, Coach Tomasevic is still advising this team.

“Sanja is still looking over everything and just making sure we are on the right track with everything,” Moreno said. “She’s still the head coach, I’m still the assistant, so I’m not even calling myself the head coach.”

In addition to Coach Moreno not referring to himself as a head coach, senior Oluoma Okaro says playing under his direction is very similar to playing for Coach Tomasevic.

“I would say it’s still very similar,” Okaro said. “I mean the coach changed, but we run the same system. The same system we run with Sanja is the same thing she gave to Carlos to continue to run this weekend.”

Sophomore Nicole Peterson says the temporary transition of the head coaching roles is smooth because the team and the coaching staff are on the same page.

“I think all of our coaches are on the same page,” Peterson. “Having Sanja gone is basically just a new look. Everything we do is the same, we just hear a new voice off the bench. We talk to all of our coaches equally, so there’s nothing new or any discrepancies.”

In Carlos’ second weekend with the team, ASU once again lost both of its matches. On Friday, the Sun Devils lost in four sets to Stanford, and they also lost on Sunday at the hands of California, who also won in four sets.

Coach Tomasevic delivered her child on October 29th, and the infant’s name is Stella.

It has not been publicly announced if Coach Tomasevic will return this weekend in the team’s matches against USC and UCLA in Los Angeles.

Next: ASU Volleyball: The Sun Devils drop 12th straight in four set loss to Cal

The first match of the weekend is on Friday against the Trojans, and then the team will stay in L.A. for its Sunday match against UCLA.