Men's Tennis | 5/1/2026 8:11:00 PM
GREENSBORO – Junior
Kaua Santos put together a dream fall season and carried that into the championship spring portion of the season for the North Carolina A&T men's tennis team.
After seven months of success, Santos finally saw his efforts rewarded on Friday. The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) released its postseason accolades on Friday, and Santos was honored not once, but twice, earning third-team All-CAA honors in singles and, alongside his partner, sophomore
Jindrich Brill, in doubles.
"Kaua had an outstanding season and continued to show why he is one of the strongest competitors in our program," said director of tennis
Dejon Bivens. "His consistency, toughness, and growth throughout the year were incredible to watch. He carried himself with pride, competed with intensity, and delivered big results for us in a very difficult lineup."
For the third time in four CAA seasons, the Aggies have earned postseason recognition—a testament to the program's progress since joining the conference. Santos's journey to this achievement began in the fall, when he opened the school year with a win in the B Draw of the Wake Forest University Open. In October, he qualified for the International Tennis Association (ITA) Regionals main draw. Continuing his momentum, Santos also defeated Georgia Southern's Matthew Mitchell, the No. 1 seed at the Wake Forest Invitational. As the season transitioned into spring, his strong performances continued.
As the spring unfolded, mainly playing as the Aggies' No. 1 singles player, Santos posted an impressive 14-3 record. He went 10-2 as No. 1, and 4-1 from the No. 2 spot. He not only won frequently but also competed strongly against standout opponents. For example, on April 9, Santos defeated one of the best in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), North Carolina Central's Rodrigo Alves, by winning a tiebreaker in the second set.
The next day, he defeated Campbell's Alex Fragasso in a three-set showdown. Fragasso also earned third-team honors on Friday. Santos also earned a win over second-team All-CAA performer Rafael Padiha of Hampton, earning the win in three sets on March 24. Another impressive win came on March 3 when he defeated St. Bonaventure's Davis Matney.
Not all of Santos's strong showings resulted in finished matches. On March 2, his contest against Temple University's Aayush Bhat was cut short, even as he rallied from a first-set loss and battled to a 5-5 tie in the second. Similarly, against the University of Arkansas's Lukkas Palovic, Santos dropped the first set but led 5-4 in the second when the match was called after the Razorbacks clinched the team win.
"Very few student-athletes have been able to perform at the level he has," said Bivens. "I'm extremely proud of the work he put in and the leadership he gave this team."
Santos's achievements extended to doubles, as he teamed up with Brill for 18 matches during the 2026 season. The partnership proved successful, with a 12-3 record and three matches left unfinished. Among their victories were wins over Norfolk State, Hampton, UNC Greensboro, and Queens University.
"Brill and Kaua had an incredible season together, especially considering this was their first year as a doubles partnership," said Bivens. "They put together one of the strongest seasons in the conference, beating a nationally ranked team and taking down some outstanding players along the way. Their level of chemistry and consistency showed up all year."
