1/23/2026
In a landmark moment for Newberry College athletics, the Wolves men’s volleyball team secured their first victory in program history with a commanding 3-0 sweep over Averett University on January 23, 2026. The match, played at Devries Athletic Gymnasium in Swannanoa, North Carolina, ended with set scores of 25-16, 25-23, and 25-19, improving Newberry’s record to 1-2 while Averett fell to 0-2.
The Wolves dominated from the start, building on strong attacking efficiency and solid serving to control the contest. Newberry hit .232 as a team with 33 kills on 95 attempts, compared to Averett’s .136 percentage and 29 kills on 88 swings. The home side also held advantages in aces (6-2) and blocks (4-2), while recording 30 digs to Averett’s 34.
Presston Anderson delivered a standout performance, leading the offense with 13 kills on 16 attempts for an exceptional .813 hitting percentage and contributing 2 solo blocks for a team-high 15 points. Alexander Arbez added 8 kills at .333 efficiency along with 6 digs. Lucas Nieves recorded 6 kills and led the team with 4 service aces. Setter Greyson Crumpton distributed 27 assists, collected 7 digs, and added 1 ace. Ethan Cooke anchored the defense with 7 digs, while Carson Kramer contributed 3 kills and 1 block. Ignacio Rodriguez chipped in 1 kill, 1 ace, 1 block, and 4 digs.
For Averett, Yerai Collazo paced the attack with 16 kills, but the Cougars struggled with consistency, committing 17 attack errors across the three sets.
This victory marks the beginning of a new era for Newberry men’s volleyball, which officially elevated to varsity status for the 2026 season as a Division III independent program.
Much of the credit for this milestone belongs to Director of Volleyball Kiko Santos, who has guided the program since its inception. Santos was named Director of Volleyball in 2025, taking on oversight of both the men’s and women’s teams after serving as head coach of the women’s program for the previous two seasons. Under his leadership in 2024, the women’s team posted a 9-14 overall record and 6-12 mark in South Atlantic Conference play.
A seasoned coach with over 20 years of experience, Santos previously spent 12 seasons as head coach at UNC Asheville, compiling a 135-166 overall record and 76-88 in Big South Conference matches. His career head coaching record stands at 181-197 across 14 seasons, including a successful 46-31 stint at Barry University where he led the Buccaneers to an NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament appearance in 2010.
Santos has developed 18 all-conference players, six all-freshman honorees, two All-Americans, and one conference and region player of the year throughout his career. At UNC Asheville, he coached 15 all-conference selections and guided three teams to Big South Conference Tournament semifinals. At Barry, standout Julia Teixeira earned Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year and Daktronics South Region Player of the Year honors under his direction, along with first-team All-American recognition.
A native of Brazil, Santos brings international experience from playing and coaching in Brazil, Iceland, Poland, Switzerland, and the United States. He assisted with the Brazilian national teams and holds a bachelor’s degree from UNC Asheville.
With this foundational win, Coach Santos and the Wolves have established a strong starting point for the young program, setting the stage for continued growth in Division III men’s volleyball.