Sekona returns to Saratoga, joins West Valley beach volleyball coaching staff

SARATOGA - Mapu Sekona, one of the most decorated athletes in West Valley history, is returning to Saratoga as the newest member of Armen Zakarian's beach coaching staff.

"We are so excited to add Mapu to our beach staff this year," Zakarian said. "She brings a wealth of knowledge to our current team and we are very lucky to have her on board."

Sekona played both indoor and beach from 2017-19 and turned in precedent-setting performances in both disciplines. In 2019, Sekona teamed with Kaylin Henderson and thundered to Coast Conference and NorCal champions before finishing second in the CCCAA State Championship tournament. The runnerup result was, and still is, the highest state finish for a NorCal pair. The Sekona/Henderson pair led the Vikings to the 2019 Coast team championship.

"Not to discredit any of the amazing athletes I've worked with prior to Mapu's freshman year, but her arrival at West Valley in 2017 was the catalyst for our current indoor and beach program success," Zakarian added. "I believe you can credit Mapu and her teammates for our recent 2021 indoor state runner-up finish. Her arrival helped legitimize our program and has turned West Valley into a consistently competitive destination."  

Sekona was a dominant indoor force during her two years at WVC. In 2017, she led the CCCAA in kills and kills-per-set and was named to the All-NorCal and All-Coast 1st-team squads. She was incendiary in her sophomore season, earning AVCA All-America, All-State and All-Coast 1st-team honors, and was the NorCal Player of the Year. She was named the West Valley Female Athlete of the Year in 2019 and earned an athletic scholarship for both indoor and beach to Cal St. Bakersfield.

"She was the first player to earn AVCA All-American in my seven years with the program and ultimately earned a full scholarship to play D1 indoor and beach," Zakarian continued. "To have someone on the staff who has done the work and seen the benefits will only help inspire our current athletes."

Sekona, originally from Honolulu, Oahu, HI, recently graduated from Cal State Bakersfield with a Business Administration degree. She plans on earning a master's degree at a yet-to-be-determined Bay Area college.

(Matt Folsom, West Valley Athletics)