Joao Infante Named River States Conference Attacker of the Year

LEBANON, Tenn.--Cumberland outside hitter Joao Infante has been named the 2025 River States Conference Attacker of the Year after a phenomenal debut season with the Phoenix.

The junior from Portugal made an immediate impact in his first season with the Phoenix, leading the entire NAIA in total kills with 457 while averaging 4.12 kills per set across 111 sets played. Infante hit .302 on the year and racked up 530 total points, also among the top marks in the country.

He reached double-digit kills in 24 of his 28 matches, including six performances with 20 or more. His season-high came on April 8 in a four-set win over No. 12 Reinhardt, where he exploded for 28 kills and 32 total points while hitting .489. He also tallied 24 kills twice in April, most recently against Brescia in the opening round of the RSC Tournament.

A three-time RSC Attacker of the Week and once named Defender of the Week, Infante showed he could impact the game on both ends. He ranked second on the team in digs with 182 and added 73 total blocks, including a season-high six in a win at Rio Grande on March 28. His all-around performance also included 29 service aces on the season, second behind just Chance Gallardo.

Infante saved some of his best play for conference opponents. He registered 19 or more kills against Indiana East, Rio Grande, and Campbellsville, and hit over .300 in 15 different matches this season.

Cumberland advanced to the semifinals of the River States Conference Tournament after a quarterfinal win over Brescia. The Phoenix are set to take on second-seeded Campbellsville on Friday as they continue their postseason push.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Chance Gallardo: OH/OPP; 6' 3"; Graduate Student

#11 Joao Infante: OH; 6' 5"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#5 Chance Gallardo
: 6' 3"; Graduate Student
: OH/OPP

#11 Joao Infante
: 6' 5"; Junior
: OH

Players Mentioned

#5 Chance Gallardo

#11 Joao Infante

Players Mentioned

#5 Chance Gallardo

#11 Joao Infante