LONGTIME VOLLEYBALL COACH DEBBY COLBERG TO RETIRE AT THE CONCLUSION OF 2007 SEASON 8/8/2007 SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- After 31 years, 799 victories, two national titles, 19 NCAA Tournament appearances, 17 conference championships and 15 coach of the year awards, longtime Sacramento State head volleyball coach Debby Colberg announced today that she will retire at the conclusion of the 2007 season. “I am retiring from Sacramento State, but I will always be back to support the program,” Colberg said. “It is simply time to pursue some interests that I have not had time for during the course of my career. I know I will miss coaching, but if I wait until I’m sure I won’t miss it, I will be 90 years old. “The University is simply a part of me. Sacramento State has provided me both an excellent education and gratifying career. I am not sure what more I could have hoped for in life. I have certainly been blessed to have had the opportunity to coach the volleyball team for the past 31 years, with one very important season still to come.”       Currently fourth among active Div. I head volleyball coaches with 799 victories, Colberg’s .738 winning percentage is the best in the history of Sacramento State for any sport. She has coached just two losing squads during her 31-year tenure and her teams have averaged 25.8 wins per season. In addition, Sacramento State players have accumulated 27 All-America awards under Colberg. “Sacramento State athletics and the entire University community owe a great debt of gratitude to Debby and the legacy she leaves behind,” Sacramento State Director of Athletics Terry Wanless said. “In my 38 years of working in education, I have never known a better coach or person than Debby. She has touched the lives of countless individuals, and through her teaching and coaching, has impacted hundreds with her knowledge, passion and integrity. “Debby cannot be replaced in the traditional sense of the word, whereby vision and experience guided her everyday habits. She is truly an icon in the world of volleyball, but more importantly, she is an example of what is right about college athletics. She leaves at the top of her game with a remarkable record that most likely will never be challenged. She is truly a champion.” The long coaching sojourn, which began in 1976, has taken Colberg and her Sacramento State teams through the ranks, from AIAW play (1976-80), through Div. II (1981-90) and currently Div. I (1991-pres.). She has led the Hornets to winning seasons in 15 of the 16 Div. I years and has compiled a 379-166 (.695) record over that span. That includes nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including five straight, in the last 10 years. The recipient of 15 coach of the year awards (one national, four regional and 10 conference), Colberg also had the added responsibility of serving as Sacramento State’s Athletics Director, a position she held from February of 1999 until June of 2002. Since the program joined the Big Sky Conference in 1996, Colberg has led the Hornets to seven regular season titles (1997-01, 2005-06) and eight conference tournament crowns (1997-98, 2000, 2002-06). In fact, the team has won the Big Sky’s regular season and/or tournament championship each of the last 10 years. For her efforts, she has been named the Big Sky Coach of the Year seven times during that span. Last year, the Hornets went 30-6 overall and 15-1 in the Big Sky, marking the program’s ninth season with at least 30 victories and 11th straight season with double figures in conference wins. No matter what division the Hornets have been a part of over the years, the team consistently has reached the NCAA Tournament. In fact, during the Div. II era (1981-90), the team had five top five finishes while reaching the Final Four in 1981, 1982, 1984 and 1989. That included a national championship in 1981 and a national runner-up finish in 1989. The 1981 championship was the second national crown in as many years for Sacramento State as the team won the AIAW Div. II national crown in 1980 (the NCAA did not sanction women's sports until 1981). Recipient of both her bachelor’s (1970) and master’s (1977) degrees from Sacramento State, Colberg was also a member of the Hornets’ inaugural volleyball, basketball and softball teams in 1965-66. Colberg and the 2007 Sacramento State squad open summer practices today in preparation for the season which begins Aug. 24 at the Mary Jo Wynn Tournament in Springfield, Mo. The Hornets return nine players and four starters from last season’s team, including first team all-Big Sky middle hitters Lindsay Haupt and Michelle Franz. This year, Sacramento State will not only host the Big Sky Tournament on Nov. 23-24 inside the Hornets Nest, but the University will also host the NCAA Div. I Tournament Final Four on Dec. 13 and 15 at Arco Arena. WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING “I have known Debby for nearly 30 years, and have from the first moment, known she was someone we should all use as a model. I am sure she would never have moved from the university she has always worked for, but had she moved to a high major, she might well be the Al Scates of women’s volleyball and be retiring with 20 national championships. No one that I have coached against gets more out of the players and team than she does. They play hard, play with respect, have very developed skill, fight until the last play and almost always win. She leads them to do all of that within unwavering boundaries established by applying her values, which are truly honorable.” John Dunning, Stanford Head Volleyball Coach "I have known and coached against Debby Colberg for over 10 years.  Debby’s 31-plus year career is unmatched in terms of conference championships, conference coach of the year awards, and NCAA Tournament appearances. Her consistency, longevity, and winning program make her an icon in the sport of collegiate volleyball.  Debby has also been a great voice for our sport and is always an integral component in advancing our sport. Debby is a coach who I have watched and learned from every time I get a chance, and is someone who I believe is a mentor for many coaches." Jon Wallace, Santa Clara Head Volleyball Coach "I have asked myself many times ‘what would Debby do?’ when I’m dealing with coaching or life-changing decisions. She makes the most rational decisions with such ease, and always understands when and how to address the greatest needs of the team. She has modeled the behavior she asks of her athletes – consistency, steadiness, and competitiveness – while requiring the best performance of each player. The quiet confidence and winning spirit that she gets from each team is a testament to her honesty after games and her high expectations in practice. I am very proud to have played for, what I believe, is the greatest volleyball coach." Lisa Beauchene, Sacramento State Setter (2000-03) "Debby doesn’t need to say much to inspire her players. She has an aura about her that is evident the minute she enters the gym and that makes her players work even harder. The most significant lesson I learned from Debby was that it is equally important to work every day at being a quality human being as well as an excellent volleyball player. She was, and continues to be, a great role model for her players. She is dedicated, moral, disciplined, and most importantly, compassionate and caring.  My teammates and I are better people today for having been players at Sacramento State under her leadership." Kristin Lutes, Sacramento State Libero (2003-06) COLBERG’S CAREER AT SACRAMENTO STATE (Year, Overall Record, Conference Record, Notables) 1976   9-8, 5-1   3rd Golden State Conference 1977   14-15, 4-3   2nd Golden State Conference 1978   17-8, 12-2   Golden State Conference Champs 1979   26-14, 13-2   Golden State Champs/AIAW Runner-up 1980   32-4, 14-0   Golden State Champs/AIAW National Champs 1981   27-6, 14-0   Golden State Champs/NCAA Div. II National Champs 1982   29-9, 14-0   Northern California Athletic Conference Champs/Fourth, NCAA Div. II Champs 1983   30-6, 13-1   Northern California Athletic Conference co-Champs 1984   32-4, 14-0   Northern California Athletic Conference Champs/Third, NCAA Div. II Champs 1985   28-8   Lost in West Regional 1986   26-8   Lost in West Regional 1987   33-12   Lost in West Regional 1988   36-5   Lost in West Regional 1989   40-5   NCAA Div. II Runners-up 1990   41-6   Fifth in Div. II/Lost in Elite Eight First Round 1991   13-19   First year of Div. I competition 1992   21-16   National Invitational Volleyball Championship bid 1993   28-9   National Invitational Volleyball Championship bid 1994   18-12   Last season with under 20 victories 1995   35-4   National Invitational Volleyball Championship Runners-up 1996   24-11, 12-4   Big Sky Tournament Runners-up 1997   23-9, 13-3   Big Sky co-Regular Season Champs/Big Sky Tourney Champs/NCAA First Round 1998   26-9, 15-1   Big Sky Regular Season Champs/Big Sky Tourney Champs/NCAA Second Round 1999   22-10, 13-3   Big Sky Regular Season Champs/NCAA First Round 2000   21-12, 12-4   Big Sky co-Regular Season Champs/Big Sky Tourney Champs/NCAA First Round 2001   20-9, 12-2   Big Sky Regular Season Champs 2002   24-11, 11-3   Big Sky Tourney Champs/NCAA First Round 2003   23-12, 12-2   Big Sky Tourney Champs/NCAA First Round 2004   25-8, 11-3   Big Sky Tourney Champs/NCAA First Round 2005   26-9, 13-1   Big Sky Regular Season Champs/Big Sky Tourney Champs/NCAA First Round 2006   30-6, 15-1   Big Sky Regular Season Champs/Big Sky Tourney Champs/NCAA First Round