26/03/2015 18:35
A medal is a realistic goal for us – BR Volleys’ setter Kawika Shoji
2015 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Men
Berlin, Germany, March 26, 2015. Germany’s capital is a vibrant, international city and this pattern is shared also by the hosts of this year’s Final Four tournament as the BERLIN Recycling Volleys can count on players from eight different countries. Kawika Shoji and his brother Erik have moved to Europe from as far as the Hawaiian Islands and this is their first season together after Erik played last year in Austria for Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK. Though they are key members of the USA national team and last year they won the FIVB World League Finals in Italy, this is the first highlight they share wearing the shirt of the same club.
Click here for a video portraying Kawika and Erik Shoji’s campaign in the 2015 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Men
“I am hoping that this Final Four tournament will be a nice celebration of Volleyball for everyone, not just for our team and our fans,” Kawika says. “And I am confident that the atmosphere will be great, there are only a very few places out there where you can get to feel the crowd as closely as you do here at the Max-Schmeling-Halle,” he adds after completing Thursday’s training session held at Germany’s ‘Volleyball Temple’.
Though the home side are the underdogs in the much anticipated semifinal with Zenit KAZAN coming up on Saturday afternoon at 5pm local time, Kawika takes some positives from that situation. “You know, this is going to be a totally different situation for us, because in Germany we enter every match as the pre-favourites and anything other than a victory is a source of disappointment. On the other hand, here we have nothing to lose and we should play as aggressive as we can, trying this way to put pressure on our opponent.”
Kawika and his brother Erik are very close and happy to have shared this season together: “We have been on the national team for quite some time already but this is the first time we have spent seven, eight months together,” Kawika explains. “This really means a lot, especially since American players moving to Europe are far away from their families and friends. You do not get to see your loved ones very often and it makes a huge difference to be able to rely on somebody who is so close and dear to you. We actually live in the same building, but not in the same apartment, so we still keep space for our privacy,” he jokes.
Though the BERLIN Recycling Volleys haven’t played any international matches since the end of the League Round and could only test their skills in friendlies with Turkey’s Arkas IZMIR and Italy’s Parmareggio MODENA, Kawika is confident that this will not have a major impact on their performance at the Max-Schmeling-Halle: “I think the same applies to any high-pressure and world-class tournament where the opening stages of your first match are always a little tense and difficult. I believe there will be some unpredictable points at the very beginning of the game and maybe Zenit KAZAN will also feel the pressure and we should be able to take advantage of any opportunity that we are given.”
The 27-year old Shoji encourages young American players to follow in his footsteps and move to Europe to pursue a professional career in their favourite sport: “It’s not just about the way you progress from a technical standpoint, but also the life experience that you get to share with your teammates. At first you are a bit alone and have to be able to rely on your own, but even the fact that you travel so extensively, you get to learn other cultures, you see so many different places, and play the best teams in the world, this is something that can only contribute to the overall development of your personality.”
Which is the minimum goal that Kawika has set for the Final Four weekend and he would be happy with? “I definitely want to win a medal and I think this is a goal that we can realistically achieve. I do not want to make any prediction but I trust my teammates and with the help of our fans I believe that we can go for it.” Though Kawika is a gentle, soft-spoken and polite young man, once he will take the court on Saturday, you can be sure that he will show the temper and character of a Hawaiian warrior.
For further information on the Final Four tournament visit the official website and Facebook page available here below:
http://berlin2015.br-volleys.de/index.php/en/
https://www.facebook.com/CLfinal4
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