Sanja Tomašević Hired as LOVB Houston Head Coach

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Sanja Tomašević Hired as LOVB Houston Head Coach

June 17, 2025 - League One Volleyball (LOVB)
LOVB Houston News Release


Sanja Tomašević, a former Serbian National Team member with extensive NCAA and professional coaching experience, has been hired as head coach of LOVB Houston Volleyball.

"Sanja's hiring reflects exactly what we're building at LOVB-a professional league that empowers women, celebrates world-class talent and creates meaningful career pathways in volleyball," said LOVB Pro President Rosie Spaulding. "She brings a rare mix of professional international experience, deep player understanding and proven leadership. We're proud to add another elite female head coach to our ecosystem as we continue shaping a league where representation and competitive excellence go hand in hand."

"I am incredibly excited to join LOVB and be part of the league that's redefining the future of volleyball in the U.S.," Sanja said. "It's an honor to continue working with elite athletes who are not only exceptional on the court but also inspiring leaders off it. This is a rare opportunity to help build something truly special for our sport, and I am thrilled to contribute to a league that's putting players and fans at the heart of it all."

Sanja spent the last two seasons with VakıfBank in Türkiye. Under her tutelage, VakıfBank won the Sultanlar Ligi title and reached the Champions League semifinal round earlier this year. During the 2023/24 campaign, the squad finished third in league play and the Turkish Cup while advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals.

While at Vakifbank, Sanja coached Jordan Thompson, who left the team to be a Founding Athlete with LOVB Houston.

"I'm so incredibly excited to have Sanja as our new head coach," Jordan said. "Sanja and I worked together in Türkiye, and I was able to experience her expertise, passion and leadership first-hand. To have a coach who has hands-on experience at the highest level in the world and so much knowledge of the game is going to be invaluable. The cherry on top is how great of a person she is, always offering kindness, wisdom and empowering us as women on and off the court!"

"Sanja is an amazing woman with great empathy and incredible mental and physical strength," VakıfBank head coach Giovanni Guidetti said of his former assistant. "She is an extraordinary coach with successful experiences at the college and professional levels. At VakıfBank, she had a huge part in our success and assisted a lot in the technical, tactical and mental parts of the game. I am sure her leadership will inspire many more great players in LOVB."

Prior to her pro experience, Sanja served as head coach at Arizona State University from 2016 to 2022 after serving as an assistant for one season. She also was an assistant at The University of Miami and The University of Texas at San Antonio.

With the addition of Sanja, LOVB now features three female head coaches-Sanja, Suzie Fritz and Tama Miyashiro-reflecting the league's commitment to elevating women in coaching roles. They join Paolo Coco, Matt Fuerbringer and Erik Sullivan to round out the league's head coaching roster.

"I'm really happy to see more and more women coaches have this opportunity in their careers," former VakıfBank outside hitter Gabi Guimarães said about Sanja's hiring. "It's important to have more coaches as an example and inspiration for women who want to be a coach and who are fighting to have their opportunity. All of us are proud to see her face bigger challenges and have more and more success."

An opposite hitter, Sanja played professionally from 2006-2012. She won three league titles - one in Switzerland, two in Greece - and represented Serbia in Olympic qualifying and at the junior levels. She played college volleyball at the University of Washington and helped the Huskies win the 2005 NCAA Division I championship.



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