WALTHAM, Mass. – Two years after losing long-time Hall of Fame coach Sandy Hoffman to a rare form of cancer, the Bentley University volleyball team will launch the 2017season by hosting the first Hoffman Memorial Tournament Friday and Saturday at the Dana Center.

Fourth-year head coach Joey Pacis' team will be joined by Caldwell College, Mercy College Southern New Hampshire University and Wil=mington University (Del.). Action will begin at 11 am Friday and an hour earlier on Saturday.

Bentley, coming off a 11-18 season, will tip off against Southern New Hampshire at 2 pm Friday and will take on Mercy at 6 pm Friday. On Saturday, the Falcons will meet Wilmington at 10 am and Caldwell at 3 pm.

The Falcon roster is dominated by seniors (4) and sophomores (6). Among the seniors are libero Celia Cristofoli (Fort Collins, Colo./Hudson (HS)) and outside hitter Shannon Kelly (Hyde Park, N.Y./ Franklin D. Roosevelt HS). Cristofoli came within seven digs of 500 last year, averaging 4.56, and also led the team in aces (36). Kelly, over the last two seasons, has given the Falcons 1.9 kills and 2.6 digs per set.

The other seniors are middle blocker McKenna Buck (Renton, Wash./Holy Names Acad.) and defensive specialist Isabella Perez (Lafayette, Calif./Carondelet HS). Buck averaged a team-best 0.84 blocks and Perez made 1.82 digs per set.

Dani Milner (Plano, Texas/The Greenhill School), Rachel Bruno (San Diego, Calif./ Frances Parker HS) and Caitlin Corcoran (Trappe, Pa./Perkiomen Valley HS) all impressed at times last year as freshmen and each is back this season with a year of experience under their belts. The first two were selected for the Northeast-10 All-Rookie team.

Milner led the team in kills per set (2.87) and was third in digs (2.66) while Bruno's 77 total blocks was a team-best. She also hit .263, best on the squad. Corcoran, before injuries sidelined her late, gave the Falcons 1.67 kills per set with a .222 hitting percentage.

The lone junior on the squad, Krista Campbell (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North HS), has made 34 career starts, including 22 as a freshman when she averaged 8.22 assists.

Following the opening weekend, Bentley will head to Florida for four matches in the Rollins College Invitational Sept. 8-9.