Jul 27, 2010 7:59:06 AM

The New England Collegiate Conference has added Anna Maria College and Endicott College as associate members. Both schools currently are full members of The Commonwealth Coast Conference.

Anna Maria will become the seventh NECC member in field hockey for the 2011-12 season and position the league to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in the near future.

Anna Maria will join current NECC field-hockey-playing members Bay Path College, Becker College, Elms College, Daniel Webster College and Wheelock College, along with fellow Commonwealth Coast member Regis College (Massachusetts), which will become a full NECC member after the 2010-11 academic year.

Endicott will become the seventh NECC member in men's volleyball for the 2011-12 campaign. Endicott, along with Elms, Daniel Webster, Lesley University, Newbury College, Southern Vermont College and Regis, presently compete in the New England Collegiate Volleyball Association.

The New England Collegiate Conference has just completed its second year of operation. Current members are Bay Path, Becker, Daniel Webster, Elms, Lesley, Mitchell College, Newbury, Southern Vermont and Wheelock.