April 23, 2009
STANFORD, Calif. -
All-MPSF Honors in PDF Format <="">Junior setter Kawika Shoji headlined a group of five Stanford players to receive All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation recognition, the most for the program since its national championship year of 1997 when it had the same amount.
Shoji, a second team All-American, became the first Stanford player since Kevin Hansen (a 2008 Olympic gold medalist) to receive All-MPSF first-team honors. In addition, Kawika's freshman brother, Erik Shoji, made the second team as a libero, outside hitters Spencer McLachlin (sophomore) and Brad Lawson (freshman) were third-team choices, and junior opposite Evan Romero was honorable mention.
Erik Shoji and Lawson also made the MPSF All-Freshman team.
Kawika Shoji collects his first conference first-team honor as he leads the Cardinal into the MPSF quarterfinals. Stanford, ranked No. 4 in the nation in the Bison/AVCA Div. I-II Coaches' Poll, plays host to No. 7 USC on Saturday at Maples Pavilion, at 7 p.m.
Kawika has 1,333 assists this year, a school-record for the rally-scoring era (since 2001), and is averaging 12.85 per set. The 6-foot-3 Honolulu native also has 117 kills, 202 digs, 61 blocks, and 20 aces.
Erik Shoji has 432 digs (3.96 per set), a figure believed to be a national single-season record. He is the runaway national leader in that category.
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