As Monday afternoon wore on the bad news we’d anticipated never broke. This was the day some of us thought Dave Shoji would announce his retirement.

The question comes up every year. And every year the Hawaii volleyball coaching legend eventually answers that he will return for another season; the recently completed one was his 42nd.

But the vibe was different this time. It seemed that Shoji, who recently turned 70, might be ready to call it a career. There was nothing tangible to base it upon … it was just a feeling, but a strong one, and not just mine.

Then, at exactly 4 p.m., UH distributed a release with shocking news, news incalculably worse than anything we might have expected or just suspected: Shoji had recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

After digesting that, the natural assumption is, yeah, of course he’s retiring.

Right?

Wrong. Absolutely wrong.

It doesn’t take an expert at reading between lines to infer that Shoji fully intends to lead the Wahine into the 2017 season.

“I will be undergoing treatment that will take me away from my everyday coaching duties for the next several weeks,” Shoji is quoted in the release. “With the help of my team of doctors, my wife Mary, and the support of our family, I am trusting in God to get through this and see what my future holds.”

That doesn’t sound like retirement to me.

Of course there’s uncertainty. Hence, “see what my future holds.”

But everything else exudes the confidence you’d expect from Shoji.

Cancer is never to be made light of. But I’ve seen many friends beat it — some so long ago and who are so healthy today that sometimes I forget they ever had it in the first place.

Shoji doesn’t appear to have gained an ounce since he ran circles around everyone else on the court in weekly basketball games 30 years ago. I’m told he remains a workout fanatic. Being fit otherwise is a good starting point for battling cancer. Possessing the attitude of a competitor and a fighter helps, too, and that’s Shoji.

Also, I don’t think I’m being naively optimistic or hopeful without reason when I say Shoji’s words indicate early detection. And early detection is often the biggest determinant in beating cancers, including prostate.

Being tested regularly for it is no fun. But the alternative is the possibility of finding out you’ve got advanced stage prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

Six out of 100 men over age 60 will have prostate cancer before their 70th birthday, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

According to statistics from the American Cancer Society, about 80 percent of prostate cancers are found in early stages, where there is no sign it has spread. The five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with what is called local stage prostate cancer is nearly 100 percent.

Many sports fans learned about prostate cancer when Joe Torre was diagnosed in 1999. Torre’s successful treatment and recovery highlighted the importance of regular, routine check-ups.

Torre is now 76, and continues to work as a high-level executive for Major League Baseball.

He’s most well-known as manager of the New York Yankees for 12 years, winning four World Series.

Perhaps Shoji can find inspiration in that Torre also managed Shoji’s favorite baseball team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, to 259 wins in three seasons — after recovery from prostate cancer.

Dave Shoji’s 1,202 wins are the second-most in the history of NCAA Division I volleyball coaches. He’s won four national championships.

Victory No. 1,203 will be more important than all the others combined.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.