Fresno State Athletics
Committed Athlete
12/20/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Dec. 20, 1999
FRESNO, Calif. - Collegiate athletes carry a large weight on their shoulders everyday, as they have to be in top physical shape for their prospective sports and develop high academic standards for their field of study.
The word commitment has come to define these athletes to take on the heavy burden of being a collegiate student-athlete. Fresno State?s junior outside hitter Malia Malu has been such a committed person in both her sport of volleyball and in her major of liberal studies.
On her team, Malu has to play two separate roles: she is the back-up setter behind Diann Aufdermaur and she has to take on the starting outside hitting duties when Aufdermaur is on the court.
"Coming to Fresno State has taught me a lot about the responsibility of pursuing a dream of playing major college volleyball and developing my academic skills," Malu said. "I always loved kids and my liberal studies major will help me pursue my passion of becoming a teacher once my volleyball career is through."
Malu?s passion is not just devoted to athletic and academic life. She also loves going to the beach, especially in her homeland of Hawaii. "The two things I love the most are my family and the beaches of Oahu," Malu said. "The great thing is that my family goes on vacation to the islands every year, so I get the best of both worlds."
At the age of five, Malu left the islands and moved to Torrance, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles.
Her volleyball career took its baby steps at Torrance High School, where her athletic skills garnished her two letters in both track and volleyball. In volleyball, she captured many accolades, from being a three-time Most Valuable Player to a three-time captain. She also was graced with three All-CIF academic selections.
Malu has always embraced her Polynesian heritage by learning to dance in the island tradition with her sister. She also enjoys reading and learning about her island culture. "I want to learn as much about my Polynesian culture as I can and pass it on to people who don?t know that much about it," Malu said.
Her family has always been her support staff in everything she does, including her athletics. Malu?s father, Asipeli, played two sports (volleyball and basketball) in his time at BYU-Hawaii. The trail of athletes does not stop there as her older sister, Vika, played volleyball for both Pepperdine and Oregon State.
With a commitment to her game, family and school, Malu is readying herself to embrace all that lies ahead. If her life plan entails hard work and dedication then this 5-10 upperclassman is working on a successful road map.
