PCA honors Shoji, USA men lose in Iran, Adolpho nominated
Shoji named Positive Coaching Alliance-Hawaii’s Double-Goal Coach of the Year at the inaugural breakfast event at Waialae Country Club.
The event ended up being more of a roast of Shoji with Kanoa Leahey the MC and former players on the panel, including hilarious stories from Tita Ahuna and Nikki Taylor.
Early proclamation from the Mayor declaring Dec. 4 Dave Shoji Day in Honolulu (That’s his birthday, as well as Jim Leahey’s) So Kanoa said it will be great on Dec. 4 to tell “Pops, Happy Dave Shoji Day.”
Pictured below are Shoji and wife Mary
Quite a few of the Wahine in attendance representing all decades of Shoji’s career: Terry Malterre, Ahuna, Dani Mafua, Elizabeth Ka’aihue, Jenny Wilton, Emily Maeda, Ali Longo, Lauren Duggins.
Pictured below Maeda, James Buccella, Ka’aihue and Mafua
While at breakfast, Shoji kept tabs on the USA men, with both his sons on the roster. USA men were swept in Iran 25-19, 29-27, 25-20, apparently a very loud crowd of over 12,000
Christenson at setter, E. Shoji at libero, K. Shoji as serving sub in Set 2.
“The intensity in this arena is like nothing I have ever experienced before,” U.S. Team Captain David Lee said. “The crowd is deafening. It’s a really hard place to play.”
http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball/Features/2015/June/19/Iran-Soundwave-Sweeps-Away-US-Men
And lastly Friday, Kalei Adolpho one of the 207 Division I athletes nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year.
http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/ncaa-announces-school-nominees-2015-woman-year
I like the idea of Dec. 4th being named as Dave Shoji Day though I bet he is too modest for this.
As for USA losing in Iran, I expected that the loud crowd would help the team win. The stadium the size of Stan Sheriff and it had standing room only. Their fans are truly passionate and hostile. Iran regards America as the “Great Satan.” So there’s political enmity. That place was like a lion’s den. The hostile Long Beach fans in the Blue Pyramid don’t even compare. Looking forward to watching the match on Universal Sports on the 27th.
Very political. Women are not allowed to go to the matches. USAV has a female media person there ad it was quite a huge deal for her to be allowed to work. I think she’s very brave to be there.
When Iran played at USC, there were many Iranian women in attendance who held signs protesting the unfair treatment of women in Iran. Of course, if they had tried to do that in Iran, they’d be dead by now.
Good point, Cindy. I think that if I had been an Iranian woman at USC, I’d most likely root for the USA team. I’d never want to go back to Iran. I can see why there are no women’s sports teams in Iran. They’d never allow them to dress in shorts and muscle shirts. Not to speak of beach volleyball.