Kansas City, Mo. — University of Hawai‘i head women’s volleyball coach Dave Shoji was inducted in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Thursday at the Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon held at the Kansas City Convention Center. The other
Kansas City, Mo. — University of Hawai‘i head women’s volleyball coach Dave Shoji was inducted in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Thursday at the Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon held at the Kansas City Convention Center.
The other three 2010 inductees are Irene Matlock, Carl McGown and Sports Imports, Inc, states a release from the University of Hawai‘i.
“This Hall of Fame class is wonderfully representative of the broad community that is the AVCA,” said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “The four inductees have been leaders in completely different sectors of our sport, yet all bright stars in our volleyball galaxy.”
The induction of these four honorees brings the total number of AVCA Hall of Fame honorees to 52 in its eight years of existence.
In 2010, the Rainbow Wahine captured their 14th straight regular season Western Athletic Conference title by sweeping all conference matches for the first time in UH history. During the season, the ‘Bows went on a 23-match and school record 62-set win streak. Hawai‘i advanced to its 29th NCAA tournament before falling in the second round at Washington.
In 2009, Shoji became just the second head coach in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball history to reach the 1,000-win milestone, as he now has accumulated 1,044 career victories, ranking second all-time in Division I.
Hawai’i, under Shoji’s guidance, has also made 25 NCAA Regional Appearances and have totaled 18, 30-plus win seasons. During his time at the helm, Shoji and the Rainbow Wahine have captured four national championships: an AIAW title in 1979 and three NCAA Division I crowns (1982, ’83 and ‘87).
The accolades for Shoji have poured in over the years. He is an 11-time conference coach of the year and has twice been selected the AVCA National Coach of the Year (1982 and 2009). Shoji was honored with an All-Time Great Coach Award in the Donald S. Shondell Contemporary Division by USA Volleyball in 2002. He has also recently been inducted to Hawai‘i Sports Hall of Fame and was named as the coach of the NCAA 25th Anniversary team.
“Dave is a great and gracious competitor,” says AVCA Hall of Fame member and former University of Nebraska head coach Terry Pettit in an endorsement letter of Shoji’s nomination. “The Hawai’i fans, I believe, reflect his demeanor and sportsmanship. As last year’s participation in the NCAA semifinals gives evidence, no one has maintained a top-level program for as long as Dave Shoji at the University of Hawai’i.”
