The 2015 Contra Costa College volleyball team is one of only three teams in the California Community College Athletic Association that has yet to play a game this season.

CCC’s volleyball team will cancel the remainder of its non-conference games and begin play when the Bay Valley Conference portion of the season begins Sept. 23 on the road at Mendocino College (0-2).

After scrubbing its first three matches of the season due to the reorganizing process following the illness of coach Zachary Shrieve, assistant coach Christy Tianero will be handling the coaching duties for the remainder of the season.

“(Shrieve) is a good guy and I know he would do this for me,” Tianero said. “I’ve taken over his physical education classes at Richmond High (where I still coach volleyball) so some days I’ll just move the practices here so I can work with both teams.”

Athletic Director John Wade said he made the decision last Thursday to have Tianero serve as coach for the remainder season.

She said she was prepared to do whatever was in her power to keep the program stable, but the financial responsibility that comes with coaching at this level was more than the coach was able to provide on her high school coaching salary.

But bringing her in as a the interim Comet coach for one season gives Tianero a large enough percentage of the coaching wage to keep the transition seamless.

With interest at a new low for the sport on campus, the coach has taken to social media sites like Facebook to seek out players to fill out her roster.

“I have to give her credit for getting to eight people, she’s working at it,” Wade said. “She’s giving good spirit to a bad issue. In an emergency situation, for her to step up like this is admirable.”

Tianero has impressed the athletic director with her level of engagement.

“She is quick to answer questions, no matter what is asked,” Wade said. “She has a plan. It’s easier to feel comfortable with someone when they know the direction they want to go in.”

In practice Tianero coaches players at different skill levels and during live action scrimmages she even joins in with the team to help with techniques and offer guidance of what to do during in game scenarios.

Some, like freshman Skylar Moore have played for Tianero in the past.

“I haven’t heard much about the program here, but she (Tianero) used to be my high school coach,” Moore said. “I love volleyball. I played club ball and in high school—I really just want to have a good positive season.”

Tianero has already made sacrifices to keep this team afloat, missing all of her Richmond high school varsity girls volleyball team’s preseason games.

She does not plan to miss any league games for her varsity girls.

On days when she is not coaching RHS volleyball her assistant Randy Del Rosario handles Tianero’s duties. The assistant for the Comet bench, however, has yet to be determined.

The new players are still going through the process of getting medical clearances to play and submitting paperwork most student athletes took care of months ago.

For Tianero and her squad the season could not come soon enough. The stress of being in limbo has reached the boiling point. The team is tired of hitting balls against each other in practice, now the undermanned team is ready for the test against a real outside opponent.

After their opener on Sept. 23, Comet volleyball returns to San Pablo on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. against Los Medanos College.