Marquette volleyball has lost another player to the transfer portal.
First-year setter Long announced on Instagram that she will be transferring to Michigan State on Sunday. Long transfers to an MSU team that finished 13-18 in 2024 and 14th in the Big Ten standings.
The Spartans announced in December that Kristen Kelsay will be the program’s next head coach. Long joins the Spartans in the hopes of bringing the success that Marquette had in 2024 to East Lansing in 2025. The former Golden Eagle said via Instagram, “Grateful for my time as a Golden Eagle, but so excited for this next chapter.”
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Long took last year to redshirt to learn under former Big East Setter of the Year Yadhira Anchante. She is the first player to announce that she is transferring since former head coach Ryan Theis announced on February 17th that he was leaving Marquette to coach at the University of Florida.
Long will have a full four years of athletic eligibility heading into the fall.
The Golden Eagles have some work to do if they want to return to the success they had last season, which resulted in the program’s third ever Sweet Sixteen appearance. New head coach Tom Mendoza will look to get Marquette back to the NCAA tournament, as the Golden Eagles have appeared in 13 of the last full-fielded NCAA tournaments.
Along with Mendoza, MU announced that Ethan Pheister would be joining the staff as head coach on Wednesday morning. Pheister, a native of nearby Shorewood, Wisconsin and a Shorewood High School graduate, spent the last seven seasons alongside Mendoza at South Carolina and was elevated to associate head coach in 2024.
Marquette has had a streak of 20-win seasons (excluding the shortened 2020-21 campaign) dating back to 2010. Mendoza and company will now continue to recruit current players to stay, with the possibility of adding a transfer or two as well.
The Golden Eagles have some retooling to do as the season gets closer. With the transfers and a large graduating senior class, there is work to be done if Mendoza wants to keep Marquette near the top of the Big East Standings.
This story was written by Brian Wilson. He can be reached at b.c.wilson@marquette.edu
