Shoji's silence is deafening
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Sports Columnist
Here it is, 12 days until the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team begins two-a-day practices and there is silence.
Just a month before the Rainbow Wahine's Aug. 30 opener with Ohio State and all is quiet on the Manoa front.
Normally, by now, there should have been a primal scream emanating from head coach Dave Shoji's office.
Or, under the circumstances, at least a guttural objection or gnashing of the molars to accompany the arrival of the first of the national polls.
Clearly, it isn't like Shoji to sit quietly while the polls shout the Rainbow Wahine's prominence to the volleyball world. Shoji has long belonged to the school of thought that it is better to fly below the radar before the season thereby enhancing your chances during the season. And if there is one thing that observing Shoji in action for a quarter-century has prepared us for, it is a little sandbagging, some crying wolf or maybe a chorus of "woe is us."
But when Volleyball Magazine came out with its annual preseason poll and had UH No. 2 — the highest for a Rainbow Wahine team since 1996 — Shoji not only held back the painful shrieks, he actually seemed OK with it.
Sedation was immediately suspected.
Now, Shoji did spend part of the month on the Mainland, but it isn't like distance has muted much of his aggrieved yelps in the past.
One year, the Rainbow Wahine were picked fifth and Shoji practically asked for a federal investigation. "I think it is a conspiracy on somebody's part," Shoji said at the time.
At other times, Shoji has derided high rankings as "far-fetched" or "unrealistic," even when the Rainbow Wahine had the returning numbers and talent to justify them.
Of course, that didn't figure to be a possibility this year. Not with the Rainbow Wahine returning six starters and 11 letter winners. Not when they have the 1-2 punch of All-America hitters Lily Kahumoku and Kim Willoughby, familiar setters and an experienced middle.
If there were any doubts about the potential for a team that returns largely intact from one that went 29-5 and made it to the Sweet 16 without Kahumoku, they were blown away by a four-game victory over defending national champion Stanford three months ago.
"I guess we should be flattered to be thought of as No. 2, but that's the kind of thing that is hard to live up to," Shoji said. "I've got to just convince myself and the team that we have a lot of hard work before we can even think about winning a national championship."
At this point, Shoji has handled the preseason rankings with surprising calm.
Of course, if next month's USA Today/AVCA poll were to put the Rainbow Wahine No. 1, the next scream you hear could be Shoji's.
