The annual award, which is voted upon by the league’s coaches, was given to Colberg after she led Sacramento State to a 23-11 overall record, a 12-2 conference mark and the team’s seventh-consecutive Big Sky championship. The Hornets, who will face No. 5-seed and host Stanford this Thursday, Dec. 4, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, have won five Big Sky regular-season championships (1997-01) and five tournament championships (1997-98, 2000, 2002-03) since joining the conference in 1996.

This year’s award marks the sixth time in the last seven years that Colberg has received the honor – the most in conference history. Colberg, who doubled as Sacramento State’s athletics director from 1998 until June of 2002, was also named Big Sky Coach of the Year in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Colberg owns a career record of 718-260 (.734 winning percentage) and has led the team to 15 league titles and 23 postseason berths. In 28 years as a head coach, she is seventh among active NCAA Div. I coaches in total victories.

Colberg is first all-time among Big Sky coaches with an .820 winning percentage (100-22) in conference matches. A Sacramento State alumna, the 1989 AVCA National Div. II Coach of the Year has guided the team to nine-consecutive 20-win years and has just two losing seasons during her tenure with the Hornets.

This year, the Hornets received a record eight conference player of the week awards and became the first team in Big Sky history to win back-to-back championships away from its home court (the Hornets beat Eastern Washington in Cheney, Wash., for this year’s title). Sacramento State also placed five players on the all-conference team, including Big Sky MVP Lisa Beauchene. As a team, the Hornets finished first in the conference in digs (17.89 per game), and second in hitting percentage (.225), kills (15.46 per game), assists (14.07 per game) and blocks (2.58 per game).

Sacramento State’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday will mark the team’s sixth appearance in the last seven years (1997-2000, 2002-03) at the postseason event. The six NCAA Tournament appearances ties former conference member Idaho for the most appearances in Big Sky history.