One day soon in a new volleyball season that opens Friday, University of Hawai'i coach Dave Shoji will get his 900th career victory and hear how he "pads that record of his" with home victories.

He'll no doubt be told how he "has a good routine going" whereby he "brings in teams" and lets the sun and beach wear them down, making them easy marks before they even get on the court.

And, he'll probably also be reminded how playing in "the friendly confines of the Stan Sheriff Center and, before that, (Klum Gym)" have allowed him to pile up lopsided numbers.

For Shoji, who is 897-157 entering the two-match opener with 19th-ranked Pepperdine, the digs will be a tongue-in-cheek initiation of sorts to the 900-victory club from UCLA's Andy Banachowski, the only other active Division I coach in women's volleyball to have hit that milestone.

"Then, I may buy him a Coke — or something a little stronger," said Banachowski, who is 1,004-266 in 39 seasons with the Bruins.

For theirs has been a give-and-take association of more than 30 years. A friendly but intensely competitive rivalry between ground breakers and program builders dating to the days before the NCAA held championships in women's volleyball.

At UH, career victories Nos. 500, 600 etc. are commemorated in numbers printed on volleyballs that can often be found stuck in the far and dusty corners of Shoji's disheveled third-floor office. Their lack of prominent placing is testament that Shoji is to be taken at his word when he maintains, "I never really get hung up on numbers."

That, as the 59-year old Shoji says, "I just go year to year, and if you play hundreds and hundreds of games, the numbers are bound to pile up on you."

Yet, what numbers they are for someone entering his 32nd season. And, how they have piled up impressively indeed for Shoji, the winningest, percentage-wise, coach in Division I. What testament they are to not only excellence but of consistency.

Even for a couple of coaches who maintain they don't put much stock in figures, Shoji's impending 900th will be something to talk about. Something to reflect upon as a standard of commanding accomplishment as much as a sign of remarkable longevity.

Especially since they put him on the doorstep of 1,000, one figure Shoji is quick to acknowledge he would like to reach before calling it a career. "It would be a nice figure to shoot for especially since nowadays you can only play 32 matches a year. That would be at least (three) more years. But, it is a possibility if things go right. If that (1,000) happens, I'd have to retire. It is hard to imagine doing one thing for that long, especially coaching volleyball, is a lifetime, really," Shoji said.

"I always kid Andy that (for his 1,004 victories) he counted intramural games and U.S.A. club victories and so on. He always says, 'oh, no we didn't.' He claims they were all varsity matches. But I've got to question some of his wins."

Said Banachowski: "He's mistaken about a few things. He keeps thinking I'm older than him and things like that."

And, so it goes.

One thing both want is for him to get off to a good start against Pepperdine this week. They agree that neither wants Shoji to wait until the fifth match to get No. 900 on Sept. 3, when UH and UCLA are scheduled to meet in the final night — and hoped-for championship game — of the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic.

VOLLEYBALL'S BIG WINNERS

Winningest active NCAA Division I women's volleyball coaches by percentage:

Record Pct.

1. DAVE SHOJI, HAWAI'I 897-157 .851

2. RUSS ROSE, PENN ST. 859-154 .848

3. MARY WISE, FLORIDA 573-114 .834

4. JOHN DUNNING, STANFORD 583-128 .820

5. BRIAN GIMMILLARO, LONG BEACH ST. 578-135 .811

6. MICK HALEY, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 653-159 .804

7. JOHN COOK, NEBRASKA 348-86 .802

8. ANDY BANACHOWSKI, UCLA 1,004-266 .791

9. BOBBI PETERSEN, N. IOWA 153-42 .785

10. LEONID TELIN, LOUISVILLE 370-103 .782

Top 10 by wins:

1. ANDY BANACHOWSKI, UCLA 1,004

2. DAVE SHOJI, HAWAI'I 897

3. RUSS ROSE, PENN STATE 859

4. MIKE HEBERT, MINNESOTA 828

5. Debby Colberg, Sac. St. 7696. Kathy Gregory, UC-SB 765

7. JANICE KRUGER, MARYLAND 702

8. SUE GOZANSKY, UC RIVERSIDE 672

9. MICK HALEY, USC 653

10. KAREN CHISUM, TEXAS STATE 616

Source: NCAA

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.