TOKYO OLYMPICS: Volleyball bonds Shoji brothers aiming for another medal

USA VOLLEYBALL

Eric, left, and Kawiki Shoji two of six AAPI members of US Men's Volleyball team.

With one win already under its belt, the U.S. men's volleyball team will face the always dangerous Russian Olympic Committee team this Sunday, July 26.

Team USA upset the favored team from France in three sets Friday, going 25-18, 25-18, 25-22 in its first match of Pool B play. Team USA entered the Olympics at No. 5 in the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball rankings, while France ranked No. 4.

With eight returning Olympians on the roster, Team USA is looking to win a medal for the second straight Games and claim its first Olympic gold since 2008.. Six members of the team are Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders, including the Kawika and Eric Shoji, two of the veterans who won a bronze medal in Rio.

"An interesting thing to know about volleyball is that it's huge in the Asian American and Pacific Islander culture," said Eric Shoji in an interview with NPR. "Growing up in Hawaii, where we are the majority, I would say, it's huge. And I know it's huge all over Polynesia. I know it's all - it's huge all over Asia. So if I wasn't born and raised in that community, I'm not sure if I would have this love for volleyball like I do. But I know that the culture aspect of it was huge in my development and my love for the game."

Volleyball is in the family DNA.  The brothers' passion for the game came from their father, Dave Shoji, who was the coach for the University of Hawaii women's volleyball team for 42 years. He is the winningest coach in NCAA Div. 1 women's volleyball. The brother's mother played basketball for the University of Hawaii.

After winning Olympic bronze medals together at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the brothers are very much looking forward to the opportunity to represent Team USA again at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

“I think that there is definitely motivation because it is a city and country that is special to us and to volleyball,” Kawika said. “They are big volleyball fans in Japan. They have a great history and culture of volleyball. So it’s just a great place to play.”

USA VOLLEYBALL

AAPI players heavily represented on the U.S. Men's Volleyball taam

A third of the 19-member Team USA is of Asian American or Pacific Islander heritage. "So I think that's awesome," says Eric Shoji. "We have great representation on our team in a sport that isn't necessarily known for diversity. So I love that, you know, young, aspiring volleyball players or young kids out there who might be Asian American or Pacific Islander can look at our team and say, hey, I look like that guy."

Besides the Shoji brothers, graduates of Stanford University and now playing professionally in Europe, other AAPI members of Team USA are:

• Joseh Tuaniga, Long Beach State, member of the national team since 2016, plays professionally in Poland;
• Garrett Muagututia, UCLA, member of the national team since 2011, played professionally for a number of European teams;
• Micah Ma'a, UCLA, member of the national team since 2018. Both his parents played professional volleyball; and
• Micah Christenson, USC, member of the national team since 2013, both parents were athletes at U. of Hawaii.

While Erik hopes to also compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Kawika says the Tokyo Games will likely be his last. He is working on his master’s degree in sports psychology and considering going into coaching or mental coaching in sports. He also eventually wants to move back to Hawaii at some point.

The team hopes to improve on the bronze medal that it earned in Rio. Next up for the Americans is a matchup against the Russian Olympic Committee at 10:05 p.m. ET on Sunday. ROC won its first game over Argentina in four sets.

“We had a heartbreaking match in the semifinals and then came back and regrouped and fought through a really tough bronze-medal match, and just showed a lot of who we were as a team,” Kawika said. “But then we left something on the table. We knew that we were probably the best team in that tournament and at the end we came up a little short. We were satisfied with the medal but a little disappointed as well.”