May 4, 2009
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford's Shoji brothers, Kawika and Erik, were named first-team All-Americans on Monday by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, and Erik was named national Newcomer of the Year.
Kawika, a 6-foot-3 junior setter from Honolulu, and Erik, a 6-0 freshman libero, became the first Stanford teammates to receive first-team honors since Canyon Ceman and Dave Goss in 1993.
"It's a very well-deserved honor," Stanford coach John Kosty said. "They had tremendous years in guiding us to our best season since we won the national championship."
Stanford went 21-11, earning the most victories for the program since its 1997 title year, and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the national rankings while finishing fourth in the competitive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
Kawika, a second-team All-America last season, had 1,394 assists to set a school single-season record for the rally-scoring era (since 2001), and led the Cardinal to a .305 hitting percentage, one of the best in the country. He also kept opponents off-guard with his ability to attack and serve, as well as pass.
"The thing that sets Kawika apart," Kosty said, "is there is no scouting report on him. He doesn't have any reads. He finds the hot hitter, but doesn't over-utilize it, so the other team can't lean that way. The numbers mean a lot in how he spread out the offense to provide a well-rounded attack.
"He brings a lot more than just setting, but setting is how he earned his unanimous first-team All-American award."
Erik Shoji put up dig numbers that were record-shattering -- 447 in a single season. While no official national records for men's volleyball have been kept before this season, no major program records any single-season figure higher than 379.
"He blew away his competition in any decade," Kosty said. "His numbers were truly staggering. Unless somebody proves us wrong, I believe he dug more volleyballs than anybody in the history of men's volleyball."
Kosty believes that Erik's tennis background and family history contributed to his footwork and ability to read the game. Erik was a two-time all-state high school tennis player in Hawaii and the brothers' father, Dave, has won four national titles in 34 years as the University of Hawai'i women's coach.
"It's a combination of really understanding the game of volleyball - how to read a hitter and how to read a block," Kosty said. "You have to have the physical awareness to get yourself to a spot, the technique to get there, and the quick hands to reach the ball once you're there."
Kawika is one of two setters named to the 10-player first team, along with UC Irvine's Ryan Ammerman. Erik was the only libero.
Stanford has not had a first-team All-American since Kevin Hansen, a 2008 Olympic gold medalist, earned the honor in 2005. On the AVCA Web site, no brothers have won first-team honors since its All-America listings began in 1991.