Erik Shoji
| Erik Shoji | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shoji in 2018 | |||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Full name | Erik Thomas Shoji | ||||
| Born | August 24, 1989 Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | ||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.84 m) | ||||
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg) | ||||
| College / University | Stanford University | ||||
| Volleyball information | |||||
| Position | Libero | ||||
| Current club | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | ||||
| Number | 22 | ||||
| Career | |||||
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| National team | |||||
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Medal record | |||||
Erik Thomas Shoji (/ˈʃoʊdʒi/ SHOH-jee; born August 24, 1989)[1] is an American professional volleyball player who plays as a libero for ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle and the U.S. national team. Shoji was a bronze medalist at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, Paris 2024 and the 2018 World Championship; the 2014 World League and 2015 World Cup winner, and a two–time Champions League winner (2022, 2023) with ZAKSA.[2][3]
Early life
Shoji was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Dave, a volleyball coach best known for coaching women's volleyball at the University of Hawaii, and Mary Shoji. His older brother, Kawika, is also a professional volleyball player.[4] Shoji attended Punahou School, where he won three consecutive men's state titles as a member of the volleyball team.[5]
Shoji attended Stanford University, where he became the first four-time AVCA team All-American.[5] He finished at Stanford as the record-holder for career digs, with 1,402 total digs.[6]
Career
Shoji became a member of the United States senior national team in 2013.[7] He has represented Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where the team won a bronze medal, the 2020 Summer Olympics, and the 2024 Summer Olympics, where he earned his second bronze medal.[8]
At the club level, Shoji has played for professional clubs in Germany, Poland, Austria, Italy, and Russia. He has played for Polish club ZAKSA since 2021, with whom he has won four Polish League trophies and two CEV Champions League titles.[8]
Honors
Club
- CEV Champions League
- 2021–22 – with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle[9]
- 2022–23 – with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
- CEV Cup
- 2015–16 – with Berlin Recycling Volleys
- Domestic
- 2013–14 Austrian Cup, with Hypo Tirol Innsbruck
- 2013–14 Austrian Championship, with Hypo Tirol Innsbruck
- 2015–16 German Cup, with Berlin Recycling Volleys
- 2015–16 German Championship, with Berlin Recycling Volleys
- 2021–22 Polish Cup, with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
- 2021–22 Polish Championship, with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle[10]
- 2022–23 Polish Cup, with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
- 2023–24 Polish SuperCup, with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Youth national team
Individual awards
- 2007: FIVB U19 World Championship – Best digger
- 2008: NORCECA U21 Championship – Best receiver
- 2008: NORCECA U21 Championship – Best defender
- 2008: NORCECA U21 Championship – Best libero
- 2015: FIVB World Cup – Best libero
- 2019: FIVB Nations League – Best libero
- 2023: NORCECA Championship – Best receiver
Personal life
Shoji publicly came out as queer in a video posted to his Instagram[11] and TikTok[12] accounts on June 13, 2025.
References
- ^ "SHOJI Erik". 2025. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- ^ "U.S. Men's Volleyball Team Makes History With Bronze Medal Victory At World Championship". Team USA. September 30, 2018. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ "Erik Shoji dołącza do ZAKSY". ZAKSA (in Polish). July 4, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ "Shoji brothers highlight family's internment camp history". AP News. July 24, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Almodova, Colt; Pilotin, Cienna (July 15, 2021). "Erik Shoji". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "Erik Shoji - Men's Volleyball 2012". Stanford Cardinal - Official Athletics Website. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "Erik Shoji". USA Volleyball. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "U.S. men's volleyball, Hawaii contingent of 4 beat Italy for Olympic bronze". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "They did it again. Zaksa is a Double CEV Champions League Volley Winner". CEV. May 22, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ "ZAKSA mistrzem Polski! Dziewiąte złoto siatkarzy z Kędzierzyna-Koźla". Polsat Sport (in Polish). May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ "TikTok - Make Your Day". www.tiktok.com. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
External links
- Player profile at TeamUSA.org
- Player profile at the European Volleyball Confederation
- Player profile at Olympics.com
- Player profile at Olympedia
- Player profile at LegaVolley.it (in Italian)
- Player profile at PlusLiga.pl (in Polish)
- Player profile at Volleybox.net