hawaii's dave shoji named to volleyball coaches hall of fame

Six months after being named national coach of the year for the second time, and 35 years after he started coaching Hawaii's Rainbow Wahine volleyball team, Dave Shoji was announced last week as part of the eighth annual American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame class: Shoji named to AVCA Hall of Fame.

Shoji will be inducted Dec. 16 at the AVCA's annual Coaches Honors Luncheon, run in conjunction with the organization's convention and the final four, in Kansas City, Mo.

"Again, I have to say I share this with all my former players and the staff that has been connected with the program," Shoji said.

Shoji also shared it with the Hawaii fans, who have made UH the only revenue-producing program in women's volleyball. The Wahine have led the country in attendance since moving into the Stan Sheriff Center in 1994.

"I think that the fans have been a part of the success Wahine volleyball has attained," Shoji said. "I share in that with everybody involved. There's no question that they have allowed us to stay as one of the top programs in the country, just by their faithfulness and support."

Shoji became the second head coach in NCAA Division I women's volleyball history to reach 1,000 wins last season. His 1,016 career victories with the Rainbow Wahine ranks second all-time in Division I, and includes four national titles. More here: AVCA Hall of Fame.