Upcoming Event: Volleyball versus California Baptist on September 18, 2025 at 1:30 PM
1:30 PM
Volleyball
vs California Baptist
Volleyball
Shoji, Malia
Malia Shoji
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- mshoji@huntsman.utah.edu
- Phone:
- 801-581-4397
Malia Shoji enters her eighth season overall with the Utah volleyball program in 2022 and her fifth season as associate head coach.
Shoji has been an instrumental part of one of the most successful stretches in program history, helping guide the Utes to two Sweet 16’s, six-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and three consecutive third place finishes in the Pac-12 Conference in her seven seasons.
Last year, she saw last year’s team go on to record a 22-9 overall record and helped coach her squad to a top-25 ranking the entire season, with the highest ranking of the year coming in at No. 10 in the nation. Utah collected a 14-6 record in Pac-12 play, which tied a program-best win mark since joining the conference. The Utes finished the season ranked eighth in the nation in kills per set (14.25), 18th in assists per set (12.87) and 30th in hitting percentage (.259).
Shoji's efforts led to four All-Pac-12 selections, as well as two All-Region honorees. Wrapping up an illustrious career spent with Shoji on the sidelines, Dani Drews became Utah's all-time leader in kills with 2,268 kills. Drews is the only Ute in history to post 2,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career and just the sixth player in Pac-12 history to do so.
In the spring of 2021, Shoji helped guide Utah to its highest ever AVCA ranking when the Utes ranked as high as No. 7 after starting 8-0 in Pac-12 play. Utah finished the year third in the conference (13-4) before its Round of 32 exit at the NCAA Championships. She played a crucial role in standout Dani Drews earning the program’s first ever Pac-12 Player of the Year selection and first ever Ute to be named the Pacific South Region Player of the Year two years in a row. She eventually went on to win the 2021 Pacific South Region Player of the Year honor as well to mark three selections in her career.
In 2019, Utah made it to its second Sweet 16 in three seasons behind a program record four AVCA All-Americans including its second First Team All-American in program history. The team finished with the highest ranking in program history at No. 9.
Two-time All-American and AVCA West Region Player of the Year Dani Drews set a single-season record in kills with 643, which was second-most in the country. Along with Drews setting the single-season kills record, setter Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres broke the single-season assists record and libero Brianna Doehrmann set the career program record for digs.
Shoji was promoted to associate head coach after working with the offense on one of the best teams in Utah volleyball history. The 2017 team won 24 matches and advanced to the programs third NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance.
The team set single-season offensive records in kills (1,886) and assists (1,786) while finishing third in hitting efficiency at .252 in the rally-scoring era.
Along with the team putting up big offensive numbers, senior Adora Anae once again eclipsed the 500-kill mark finishing with 547 on the season. The senior outside hitter became the first Utah volleyball player to be named an AVCA First Team All-American and the second player of all-time to earn All-American honors twice under Shoji’s tutelage.
Coming into the 2018 season, there were some question marks after losing a lot of the offense, but the team got better as the season went along, closing the regular season winning five of six matches and then defeating Denver in straight sets in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Dani Drews and Kenzie Koerber were only sophomores, but were up for the challenge all season. Drews became the second player in the rally-scoring era to have 500 kills in a season finishing with 522. She was honored by being named an AVCA Second Team All-American. Koerber played on the right side and earned AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors after totaling 264 kills and 108 blocks.
In addition to her on-court duties, Shoji has also been the teams recruiting coordinator the past four seasons. In 2017 and 2018, the Utes signed a top-30 recruiting class according to PrepVolleyball.com, including the 11th ranked class in 2017. The 11th ranking was the highest in program history.
With Shoji’s success with the Utes, she has had several international opportunities to expand her resume. This past summer, she was an assistant coach for the 2019 USA Volleyball High Performance Assistant Coach for the Women Junior A1 Team. Following her first season with Utah, Shoji was named an assistant coach for the Pac-12 Volleyball All-Star Team that toured China in the summer of 2016.
Shoji made the move to Salt Lake City after serving as an assistant coach under Brad Saindon at Western Oregon University, a NCAA Division II and Great Northwest Athletic Conference member, since 2012.
While working at WOU, Shoji assisted in the planning and execution of player development, was WOU's primary recruiting coordinator, assisted in off-season training and oversaw video/statistics analysis, as well. She coordinated team travel, initiated fundraising efforts for the volleyball program and was the Wolves' primary camp director. In Shoji's first season with the Wolves, the squad finished the campaign with a 21-6 overall record and finished in second-place in the GNAC with a mark of 14-4.
Prior to her stint with the Wolves' program, Shoji was an assistant coach with Willamette University in 2011 where she helped establish the Capital City Elite Volleyball Club and served as the Director of Business Operations.
Shoji's coaching experience also includes serving as lead coach for the Gold Medal Squared Volleyball Camps (2012-14), head junior varsity coach at La Jolla Country Day School (2008-10), head coach for the La Jolla Volleyball Club (2008-09) and head coach at Saddleback Valley Volleyball Club (2007).
Shoji, who played collegiately at Irvine Valley College from 2005 to 2007), hails from a family that is no stranger to the sport of volleyball. Shoji's dad, Tom, has been a volleyball coach at the NCAA level for more than 30 years. Her uncle, Dave, has been the head coach at Hawai'i 40 years and during that time he has accumulated 1,150 victories, which currently ranks second all-time in career wins. Shoji's cousins, Kawika and Erik, play professionally for the Berlin Recycling Volleys and both players are members of the USA Men's National Team, as well.
Shoji earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of California -- San Diego in 2009 and her Master of Science degree in Education, Information Technology from Western Oregon this spring. While attending IVC, she has earned an Associate's Degree in Business Administration.
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