Veteran volleyball coach Hoffman elected to hall of fame

Veteran Advance volleyball coach Erin Hoffman was caught a bit off-guard after learning that she will be inducted into the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

“I was surprised because if I feel like I’m kind of young,” Hoffman said. “I wasn’t surprised because I know (Helias head coach) David Harris nominated me a few years ago.”

In 25 seasons as a head coach, Hoffman has compiled a 645-174-22 record and won 21 district championships and four state titles while coaching at five schools.

Hoffman, will join Doug Ell, of Lafayette (Wildwood), and Shari Tune, of Liberty (Mountain View), in the Class of 2022.

“We are excited about this year’s class and the process that took place to select our new members,” MHSVCA Executive Director Dave MacLean said in a press release. “The committee presented the board with several strong applicants. The new elected members represent a wide range of coaching excellence and experience. We thank all of those who nominated coaches for induction and congratulate our newest members on their many years of (excellent) service to Missouri high school volleyball.”

The induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 25 at Stoney Creek Hotel in Columbia, as part of the MHSVCA annual clinic and awards night.

Hoffman has led her teams to the state semifinals eight times, including four in eight years with Bell City and three-straight in Advance.

Besides winning, Hoffman wants her teams to possess two qualities.

“(They) definitely need to look like they are enjoying themselves,” Hoffman said. “If you don’t love or like it, you shouldn’t do it. That has shown with the girls’ singing and dancing” during their recent state championship three-peat.

“I want my girls to think team,” she said. “They all work together. Nobody tries to stand out. They work together to complete our goals.”

After winning two district championships and making a trip to the state quarterfinals in five years at Meadow Heights, she led Bell City to eight-straight district titles from 2003 to 2010 and a state championship in 2003.

Hoffman coached at Scott City in 2011, when the Rams went 30-1-1 and won a district championship. She led Bernie to three district titles from 2012-2014 and a second-place state finish in 2012 before returning to Advance in 2015. She coached the Hornets in 1997 during her final year of college.

After missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season, she led the Hornets to six-straight

district titles and three-straight state titles from 2018-20.

While the 2021 Hornets didn’t advance to the state semifinals for the first time since 2017, Hoffman was pleased by the improvement shown by a group that returned only one player from the 2020 state championship squad.

“I was thrilled to death, especially because things weren’t coming together the first three-fourths of the season,” Hoffman said. “At one point I wasn’t sure we would win district, but all sudden we began to click.”

The Hornets won nine of their final 11 matches after an 11-11-2 start to the season. They rebounded to win a district championship and earn their fourth-straight trip to the state quarterfinals.

Gideon ended the Hornets’ season with a 29-27, 25-22, 25-23 victory before finishing second in the state tournament.