Tom Mendoza stood front-and-center on the court, hair slicked wet, his gray Marquette-branded quarter-zip jacket visibly soaked in water. Not sweat, to be clear. College athletics’ version of champagne. He exuberantly shook hands with athletic director Mike Broeker. Fielded congratulations from everyone who saw him. FS1 broadcasters Anna Connelly and Elise Woodward pulled him aside to tell him, off-camera, not-for-show, just how impressive his team was.
He was the moment.
Ryan Theis stood tucked away, barely out from under the bleachers, dry as a bone from head-to-toe, his white Florida-branded windbreaker unblemished. He caught up with former players and people he knew from his 11 years in charge in this building, all who came to watch his long-anticipated return. Hugs were reminiscent, not jubilant. Handshakes were purely professional.
He was the moment. Was. Not anymore.
The former just swept the No. 15 team in the country in his first ranked win of the season and tenure as Marquette volleyball head coach, only two days removed from being swept himself by 7th ranked Wisconsin. The latter was on the receiving end of that sweep in his first match back at the Al McGuire Center since leaving the Golden Eagles for Gainesville’s Florida Gators.
It was a stark comparison. One the victor, the other the loser.
On this Friday night in Milwaukee, the new man at the helm gave his predecessor a broom as a parting gift in the match circled on Marquette volleyball players and fans’ calendars since May’s nonconference schedule release.
“I was incredibly proud of the team,” new man Mendoza said with water dripping down his face. “I couldn’t be more proud of the last 48 hours of the way the team handled processing Wednesday and getting ready for Friday.”
After six months and nine games under his belt in the blue & gold, Friday felt the day he was here. Wholly at Marquette. A full-fledged Golden Eagle. Like after leaving the Al he was off to get his mug at Caff’s before housing a Marquette Special at Real Chili while wearing a Murph’s 21st birthday shirt.
“We’re thrilled,” he said. “This is one of the reasons why I was excited to come to Marquette. The Al McGuire Center is phenomenal. Marquette puts on phenomenal volleyball events.”
And after seven months and eight games into his post-Marquette life at Florida, Friday felt almost like Theis’ reckoning. He spent 11 years getting the Golden Eagles banner wins in the Al, now he was their latest — and most notable — victim. He, in a way, got a taste of his own medicine.
“You expect them (Marquette) to play their best volleyball against the Gators, with me coming back, and they did that,” Theis said. “And hats off to them.”
When Natalie Ring killed the ball into the taraflex for the 14th time, and the Golden Eagles had officially offed the mighty Gators, the Al McGuire Center was lit ablaze blue and gold.
On one side of the net, the entire team — comprised largely of people Theis recruited and coached — sprinted onto the court, jumping and hugging and cheering all at once. Mendoza turned around and made a beeline to his longtime assistant Ethan Pheister, bumping chests and high-fiving. Past Golden Eagles, from Jenna Reitsma to Aubrey Hamilton to Carsen Murray to Sarah Kushner, joined in the ballyhoo.
On the other, Theis put two hands behind his back and walked slowly down the sideline before shaking hands, turning around and heading down the tunnel to the away locker room.
Most of his volleyball head coaching life has been spent like Mendoza. After leading Marquette to its first and second Sweet 16s (2018 and 2022). After winning four-straight Big East regular season titles. After clinching any of the 10 NCAA tournament berths. He was always on the side of jumping and hugging and cheering.
This was the first time he experienced this in a volleyball match on 12th street, and it came in his first go-around as the enemy.
“I don’t really have a comment on that,” Theis said in reference to being rooted against instead of cheered for.
It was a first for Mendoza as well — a first, not last, signature win in what he’s hoping is a long time spent in Milwaukee, with many more of these nights to come.
“We got to keep getting better,” he said. “I said we were really proud of our last 48 hours. We need to make sure on Sunday we’re proud of the 48 hours from now until we play (No. 12) Minnesota.”
This article was written by Jack Albright. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @JackAlbrightMU.
