ELON, N.C. – Elon University volleyball head coach Mary Tendler has added two new assistant coaches to her staff in Tim Ebbecke and Willie Whealen.
 
"I'm excited to have Tim and Willie as new additions to our staff," said Tendler. "They both are very passionate about the sport of volleyball and are driven to help Elon achieve success."
 
Before coming to Elon, Ebbecke was an assistant coach at The Citadel since March 2020, helping the Bulldogs capture the 2021 SoCon Championship title and the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, the team earned its first ever AVCA East Coast All-Region selection, its first SoCon First Team honoree along with three All-Conference selections, had the conference Freshman of Year, and secured wins over College of Charleston and ETSU for the first time in series history.

Ebbecke spent the 2019 season as an assistant with the Purdue University volleyball program. He primarily served as the co-defensive coordinator as well as the middle and opposite hitters coach. During his time there, the Boilermakers made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen since 2013.

"I want to thank Coach Tendler for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to be a coach at Elon," said Ebbecke. "Coach Tendler and her previous staff have done some awesome things and I believe that they have set a great foundation and are on the verge of completing something extremely special. I believed from the first phone call with Coach Tendler that I could help them achieve the goals that they have set out for themselves. I believe it's an exciting time to be a member of the Phoenix volleyball program and I look forward to being a part of all the achievements this program will accomplish."

A graduate of Mount Olive, Ebbecke helped the volleyball team to a pair of Conference Carolinas championships in 2010 and 2011. He broke the school record for blocks per set (1.20) and finished fourth in the program's history in solo blocks, block assists and total blocks.

"Tim knows what it takes to take a team to the NCAA Tournament and recruit the student-athletes to get that done," continued Tendler. "He loves talking to people and is very personable. Tim will work hard to build strong relationships with players, parents, recruits and the Elon community."

Whealen was most recently the volunteer assistant coach at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Mo. from the fall of 2020 through the fall 2021 season. A 2021 AVCA Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship recipient, he was responsible for training the Billikens' primary passers, scouted opponent blocking and defense to help inform the team's offensive game plan for each match, co-led weekly setter meetings and was responsible for in-match sideout and reception charts. He also created scouting reports, developed a goal-tracking system for individual players, and assisted with on on-campus recruiting visits.

Prior to joining the Billikens, Whealen was an assistant coach with Lindenwood University's men's volleyball team for the 2016-17 academic year. He was also a USAV Club Coach with St. Louis High Performance Volleyball and was a varsity assistant at both Visitation Academy (2015-19) and his alma mater, St. Louis University High School (2016, 2018-19).

"Willie has a variety of experiences at different levels of volleyball and loves to be in the gym," said Tendler. "He is very versatile in the skills he can coach and his teaching background helps him excel at player development. His analytical nature will be helpful as we work to improve our team and scout our opponents."

Whealen played club for St. Louis High Performance from 2005-11 and also played all four years as a student at St. Louis High School from 2008-11, winning a state championship in 2010. He attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he was a member of the Mizzou Men's Club Volleyball team from 2011-15 and earned his Bachelor's of English Literature degree with minors in Business and French. He later added a Teaching Certification in Secondary English from Lindenwood University in 2019.

"I am grateful to Coach Tendler and the Elon University Athletic Department for the opportunity to join the Elon Volleyball program," said Whealen. "I am thrilled to support and learn from such an experienced coaching staff while representing a stellar university. I look forward to helping our student-athletes achieve their athletic, academic, and personal goals while competing together for CAA championships."