WALTHAM, Mass. – Following a recommendation from league administrators, the Northeast-10 Conference has named its annual Volleyball Coach of the Year Award after current Bentley University head coach Sandy Hoffman.

Hoffman, currently in her 32nd season as head coach of the Falcons, has the most career wins (754) among active New England coaches. She earned her 750th victory with a win over Saint Michael's College on September 29, becoming just the 26th coach in NCAA women's volleyball history to reach the milestone, and also moved to No. 4 on the all-time Division II wins list with a Sept. 25 victory over Southern Connecticut State University.

"I am very humbled and honored by the naming of the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year on my behalf," said Hoffman. "I was blessed to be hired right out of college to start Bentley's program, and since then I have experienced the outstanding development in competition, respect and professionalism among the conference's 15 very competitive programs."

"I cherish my relationships with so many of the student-athletes and coaches I've worked with and played against," added Hoffman. "It is these relationships that drives my spirit to coach, and I am proud to be a part of such a group of fine young players and coaches that represent our conference."

Under Hoffman's tutelage, the Bentley program has consistently ranked among the Northeast-10 elite. She received the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year award that will now bear her name for five straight years from 1985-89, then again in 2001 and 2005.

"Sandy Hoffman is the mother of Northeast-10 volleyball and it is most fitting the conference coach of the year award be named in her honor," said Deborah Chin, University of New Haven Director of Athletics and former head volleyball coach for 19 seasons at New Haven. "Her successful career has spanned decades and she has championed the sport at the local, regional and national levels."

Bentley has won at least a share of the Northeast-10 regular-season title 11 times under Hoffman, while winning the conference championship nine times. Her Falcons have also advanced to the NCAA Tournament 11 times, including the program's first-ever Sweet 16 appearance in 2005.

Her 2013 squad is currently 13-7 overall and 7-1 in the Northeast-10, currently tied for second in the league standings.

"It is most fitting that the Northeast-10 Conference honors Sandy Hoffman with this honor," said Northeast-10 commissioner Julie Ruppert. "Her 32 years of coaching have been measured by unparalleled success both on and off the court. Her 750-plus wins are a testament to the quality program she has built, and off the court Sandy has served tirelessly at the conference, regional and national levels to advance not only the sport of volleyball, but women in athletics as a whole."

"She cares deeply about the welfare of the conference's student-athletes and has approached her job with the utmost dignity," Ruppert added. "She has not only earned this award, but she truly deserves it for all that she has meant to the Northeast-10."

As an administrator, Hoffman has also been a Bentley assistant athletics director since 1990. During that time, her responsibilities have involved her in virtually every aspect of the athletic department's operations.

Hoffman, a native of Manhasset, N.Y., is also a former member of the NCAA Division II Volleyball Committee. She played four years of varsity volleyball at Springfield College before graduating in 1980. She received her MBA from Bentley in 1990.

The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.