By Stephen Vincent
Carlos Moreno came to BYU to escape his father''s legacy and create his own.
Playing for one of Brazil''s top volleyball clubs as a teenager, Moreno was nearing his dream of being a professional volleyball player.
But then volleyball stopped being fun.
Moreno said he was dismayed with his teammates'' attitude, as they played to secure professional contracts and were more concerned with money than wins.
He also said he felt wearied by the constant comparisons to his father, Brazilian volleyball legend Antonio Moreno.
Antonio Moreno, an outside hitter, captained four Brazilian Olympic teams between 1968 and 1980. Because of that, his son inevitably drew comparisons to his father, despite playing setter, a position vastly different from outside hitter.
'I wasn''t Carlos; I was my dad''s son,' Moreno said.
The younger Moreno decided it was time to create his own name in volleyball, and he would have to do it in a place away from his father''s legend.
That''s when he decided to come play college volleyball in the United States.
'I wanted to go where I''m a nobody, and I wanted to be myself,' Moreno said. 'I wanted to start from zero and get my respect.'
At BYU, Moreno, a sophomore, has earned the respect that he sought. He has quickly established himself as one of the nation''s best setters, and a key player on a team that is contending for its third national championship in five years.
Growing up, Moreno was indoctrinated with volleyball early, as he attended his father''s volleyball matches and played with his family.
'I was born to play volleyball,' Moreno said. 'At my house, everything was volleyball. At lunch or dinner, we talked about volleyball. My dad liked to tell this joke, ''If I don''t play volleyball, I won''t eat.'''
Moreno''s volleyball skills developed quickly, and because of his quickness, he started playing setter.
'It was kind of unfair because I had this huge coach at my house,' Moreno said. 'When I got home, I always had exercise to do with my dad. I always told him what happened at practice and what I did wrong, and he said, ''Okay, so you need to do that thing better and better.'' So I learned much faster than the other kids.'
Moreno said he and his family are close and the hardest part of his decision to come to BYU was leaving his family.
'I really like my family a lot,' Moreno said. 'Even though I''m far from home, my parents give me the support I need to play well.'
Despite the pressure he felt in Brazil with the comparisons to his father, Moreno still wants to have the kind of career his dad did.
'My dad is my idol,' Moreno said. 'I want to play in the Olympics like he did.'
Still, when Moreno decided to go play volleyball in America, his father was not pleased.
'He wanted me to stay in Brazil and play, but I needed a time for myself,' Moreno said.
Moreno started by e-mailing Mountain Pacific Sports Federation coaches, and hit it off with then-BYU coach Carl McGown. Moreno had vowed to play for one of the top programs, so when he found out BYU had just won the 2001 national championship, he signed with the Cougars.
When Moreno came to BYU, he struggled with the language and started on the bench.
But he said he still found BYU to be 'the perfect atmosphere.'
'I have great friends, and the support is huge,' Moreno said, adding that he enjoys playing in front of BYU''s traditionally large crowds.
As the setter, Moreno directs an offense that thrives on its unpredictability.
With no featured player, Moreno relies on his instincts to guide the offense. The results have been tremendous, as the Cougars rank among the top teams in the nation in hitting percentage.
Moreno credits that, in part, to the team''s friendship.
'All of us on the court are very good friends,' Moreno said. 'Our relationship is awesome.'