Western Carolina University

Pronunciation: VAAH   lay - ALAAH -- E - ma - tah - fow

2023 (Senior): Started all 11 of the team’s games at linebacker … Finished second on the Catamount squad with 59 total tackles including 30 solo stops and two tackles for loss coming on a pair of sacks … Recorded tackles in all 11 games, posting double-digit tackles once with a career-high 17 stops in the home win against Furman (Oct. 21) … Credited with a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry and recovered a fumble against Mercer (Oct. 28) … Finished with seven tackles in the road win at Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 16) … Posted his first sack with four tackles in the road win over nationally-ranked Chattanooga (Oct. 7) … Had six tackles at home against Charleston Southern (Sept. 23) and six stops including a sack in the road win at Wofford (Nov. 4).

2022 (Junior): Played in all 11 games with two starts at linebacker … Finished third on the team with 52 total tackles including 26 solo stops and two tackles for loss coming on sacks … Recorded at least one tackle in all 11 games including a career-best 10 stops at Furman (Oct. 15) … Made his WCU debut in the season-opening road game at Charleston Southern (Sept. 3), finishing with four tackles including a sack and a forced fumble … Had eight tackles with five solo stops against The Citadel (Oct. 22) … Tallied five tackles and forced a fumble in the road win at ETSU (Nov. 12) … Closed the year with five tackles including a sack against nationally-ranked Chattanooga (Nov. 19).

Prior to Western Carolina: Mid-semester transfer from Cisco College in Cisco, Texas, who enrolled at WCU for the spring 2022 semester; Cisco College (2019-21): Recorded with 62 tackles over three seasons with 31 solo stops and a tackle for loss ... Tallied six pass break-ups including five in 2021; High School: Three-year varsity letter winner at Warren High (2016-2019) ... Credited with 116 career tackles including 51 solo stops and 9.0 tackles for loss with three sacks, according to MaxPreps ... Forced two fumbles and recovered one during his prep career.

Personal: Full name is Aiava Xavier Louis Lealaimatafao, but prefers to go by "Va" ... Is the son of Diana and Semaia Lealaimatafao ... Has one brother, Trey and a sister Leilani ... Was born in Honolulu, Hawai'i.