Mark Hulse

Position: Assistant Coach Alma Mater: Pepperdine (2009)

Mark Hulse, a native of Evanston, Ill., and a graduate of Evanston Township High School, is in his first season as an assistant men's volleyball coach at Loyola University Chicago.

"I am very excited about having Mark join our staff. He brings valuable insight from his years playing at Pepperdine, which will help us further develop our middle position," Loyola Head Men's Volleyball Coach Shane Davis said. "In the office, Mark is a diligent and capable worker. He strives to exceed expectations rather than just meet them. All of this, combined with his energy and enthusiasm for Loyola, his passion for and understanding of the game, and his familiarity with the city of Chicago from having grown up here, makes me confident that he is a fantastic fit for our program."

In addition to coaching duties at Evanston Township High School, Hulse has most recently been the head coach of D1 Chicago Volleyball Club, a nationally competitive 18-year-old boys team based in Skokie, Ill. During the summer of 2007, he spent time as an assistant coach for Adversity Volleyball Club's 16's team that competed at USA Volleyball Junior Nationals.

During his time as a student-athlete, Hulse competed for two seasons at Rutgers-Newark University before transferring to Pepperdine University for his final two years of collegiate eligibility. As a member of the Waves' men's volleyball squad, Hulse helped the program to 39 wins in two years, including a 22-5 overall mark in 2009.

A force at the net, he was a starting middle blocker and a key contributor on Pepperdine's 2008 squad that went 17-11 and finished as NCAA Runner-Up, losing to Penn State in the national championship game. That season, Hulse racked up a .305 hitting percentage, 65 kills and 146 total blocks.

He graduated from Pepperdine in 2009 with a degree in political science.