Veteran libero Erik Shoji reflected on Team USA's spirited FIVB World Championship run, grateful for Filipino fan support and determined to keep playing for the national team alongside its rising stars.
Team USA may have fallen short of the semifinals, but libero Erik Shoji walked out of the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship in Manila with his head held high.
The veteran defender admitted that Bulgaria’s Aleksandar Nikolov proved too tough to contain in their five-set quarterfinal loss.
Still, Shoji took pride in the way the Americans battled on defense.
“It’s a challenge, always, defense. You never feel like you have the advantage but with our blocking defense and coordinating it out there, it felt really good to be a part of our team,” Shoji said after the match. “But, I think you know Alex was a little bit better in our blocking defense tonight, so we’ll go back, watch and learn, and we’ll be better next summer.”
Young core, bright future
Shoji noted that despite the heartbreak, the new-look American squad, who have an average age of 27 years old, proved they can compete with the world's best.
Erik Shoji with the rest of Team USA in the 2025 FIVB Men's World Championship. | Photo: RM Chua/One Sports
Team USA were without veteran mainstays Matt Anderson, TJ Defalco, Aaron Rusell, and Max Holt.
“I thought we had a great World Championship. Four wins, one loss. To be fifth in the tournament, obviously we’re so close to being in the top four,” he said. “But like I said, we improved so much this summer.”
“It’s so amazing to see where some of the guys are playing now compared to May. It’s exciting to be with a lot of the young guys and the new guys. I just hope that we keep improving and playing good volleyball.”
Inspired by Manila crowd
Despite the loss, Shoji showed nothing but love for Team USA’s Manila fans as their Pasay showdown against Bulgaria drew over 10,000 spectators, something he said gave the match a special atmosphere.
“Yeah, it was amazing. I heard that it was going to be really crowded tonight, so we were really excited. I think we saw the best of the Filipino fans,” he said. “They were cheering for us and Bulgaria, which is great. They were loud. There were some points where we couldn’t hear anything, but you guys were showing up. We’re just grateful that they showed up to support us.”
No plans to stop
At 36, Shoji remains a cornerstone of Team USA’s backline and isn’t ready to close the book on his international career.
The American libero made it clear he would be back, raring to compete for the U.S. come the next World Championships in 2027.
“Yeah, the goal is to continue playing for the USA as long as possible,” he said. “Obviously, we’re getting a little bit older, but the young guys give us a lot of energy. We’ll be back next summer. Hopefully, our health is great and our bodies are okay. The goal is to keep playing and to never stop.”
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.