Marquette University Athletics
Women's Volleyball
Ethan Pheister
- Title :
- Associate Head Coach
- E-Mail:
- ethan.pheister@marquette.edu
- Phone:
- 288-8294
- Experience :
- Second Year
- Alma Mater:
- Ball State (2010)
Ethan Pheister is in his second season as associate head coach with the Marquette University women's volleyball program in 2026.
Â
Pheister, a native of nearby Shorewood, Wisconsin and a Shorewood High School graduate, spent seven seasons alongside Tom Mendoza at South Carolina and was elevated to associate head coach in 2024.
Serving predominantly as the team’s defensive coordinator at South Carolina, Pheister developed the team’s middle blockers into one of the best positional groups in the Southeastern Conference. In the modern scoring era (since 2001), he has trained four of the 11 student-athletes who have totaled 250 or more blocks. As a team, the Gamecocks consistently ended the season in the top three of the SEC and top 50 nationally for average blocks per set during Pheister’s tenure.
Prior to his time in Columbia, he spent three seasons at LSU (2015-17), a pair of seasons at Duquesne in 2013 and 2014, in addition to a year at both Arkansas (2012) and Cincinnati (2011).
He helped lead teams to NCAA tournament appearances at each institution, including the first-ever berth for the Dukes in 2013.
Â
During his one season at Cincinnati, Pheister helped lead the Bearcats into the second round of the NCAA tournament and a BIG EAST Conference tournament crown won at the Al McGuire Center. UC rallied for a reverse sweep of MU in the league semifinals and defeated Notre Dame in the title contest.
Pheister graduated from Ball State University in 2010, where he was a three-time all-conference setter and finished his career fourth in program history with 4,103 assists (11.21 per set).
Outside of the college ranks, Pheister served as the club coach for the Munciana Volleyball Club and High Performance Volleyball Club in Missouri.
Pheister and his partner, Jen Vilkoski, have two children together, Amelia and Conrad.
Â
Â
Pheister, a native of nearby Shorewood, Wisconsin and a Shorewood High School graduate, spent seven seasons alongside Tom Mendoza at South Carolina and was elevated to associate head coach in 2024.
Serving predominantly as the team’s defensive coordinator at South Carolina, Pheister developed the team’s middle blockers into one of the best positional groups in the Southeastern Conference. In the modern scoring era (since 2001), he has trained four of the 11 student-athletes who have totaled 250 or more blocks. As a team, the Gamecocks consistently ended the season in the top three of the SEC and top 50 nationally for average blocks per set during Pheister’s tenure.
Prior to his time in Columbia, he spent three seasons at LSU (2015-17), a pair of seasons at Duquesne in 2013 and 2014, in addition to a year at both Arkansas (2012) and Cincinnati (2011).
He helped lead teams to NCAA tournament appearances at each institution, including the first-ever berth for the Dukes in 2013.
Â
During his one season at Cincinnati, Pheister helped lead the Bearcats into the second round of the NCAA tournament and a BIG EAST Conference tournament crown won at the Al McGuire Center. UC rallied for a reverse sweep of MU in the league semifinals and defeated Notre Dame in the title contest.
Pheister graduated from Ball State University in 2010, where he was a three-time all-conference setter and finished his career fourth in program history with 4,103 assists (11.21 per set).
Outside of the college ranks, Pheister served as the club coach for the Munciana Volleyball Club and High Performance Volleyball Club in Missouri.
Pheister and his partner, Jen Vilkoski, have two children together, Amelia and Conrad.
Â
2026 Marquette M Club Hall of Fame Speech: Allie Barber
Monday, January 12
2026 M Club Hall of Fame Halftime Ceremony
Sunday, January 11
Marquette Volleyball NCAA 2nd Round Postgame Presser 12/6/2025
Monday, December 08
NCAA 1st Round Postgame: Tom Mendoza, Natalie Ring, Hattie Bray
Saturday, December 06
