The Rider News 2025-26 men’s and women’s players of the year

By Benjamin Shinault and Joshua Yuhas

Kyle Neri

Junior outfielder Kyle Neri is no stranger to collecting awards. After being a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Rookie team in 2024, then a member of the 2025 All-MAAC team last season, he has already made himself quite the decorated Rider athlete.

However, Neri will have to make room for one more award, as he has been named the 2025-26 The Rider News Male Player of the Year via a poll conducted between April 1 and April 8, gathering students’ opinions on who should be crowned the honor.

This season, for Rider baseball, Neri has picked up right where he left off and has played his part in carrying the Broncs to sole possession of first place in the MAAC standings, as of April 13.

Neri currently sits top 10 in the MAAC in the following categories: batting average, hits and RBIs.

In his 30 games this year, Neri recorded 14 multi-hit games, and in five of those, he collected at least three hits.

Neri transferred to Rider after taking a redshirt-season at Bryant University. After a phone call with then Head Coach Barry Davis, Neri knew he would have the opportunity to shine and smash baseballs at Sonny Pittaro Field.

“[Davis] came out and he checked me out and I just figured it was close enough to 

home and it was still at the Division I level,” Neri said.

Outside of Rider, Neri spent some time with the Upper Valley Nighthawks, a team in the New England Baseball League.

“I think that, when I was there, I definitely struggled a lot. So I think being able to struggle, look at everything, take a breath and get back into it showed me how to really push through everything,” Neri said.

Neri, in each of his last three seasons, has had a batting average of .300, brought in at least 25 runs and has had at least 48 hits. This season, the batting average jumped up, but for Neri, he is now comfortable wearing cranberry and black.

“Throughout the years, I have gotten more comfortable. I’m playing against guys that I know more often,” Neri said.

Right now, the Broncs are in the midst of pursuing another conference regular season title, as well as a MAAC Championship. Neri likes what he has seen from the Broncs this season and is holding out hope for another distinguished honor.

The Rider News will publish a feature story on Neri in its April 22 issue.

Kiannisha Santiago

Shining on the court, Rider women’s volleyball senior opposite Kiannisha Santiago set herself at a level above the competition and etched herself into the Rider history books. 

With recognition from the American Volleyball Coaches Association as an All-American nominee, the 10th Bronc across all sports since 2020 to earn this recognition, alongside conference recognition from coaches with the 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year Award, the first Bronc to win since Morgan Romano in the 2020-21 season, Santiago stood out among all other Rider athletes.

 Santiago also earned MAAC All-First Team honors for the second consecutive season, her third straight year with an All-MAAC appearance.

Recognition has not only come from coaches, but also her fellow Broncs, in being named the 2025-26 Rider News Female Player of the Year via a poll conducted between April 1 and April 8, giving Rider students the opportunity to choose which female athlete should earn the title.

In the 2025 season, Santiago led Rider to a 12-6 record in conference play and pushed the Broncs forward for a trip to the finals in the MAAC Championships for the first time since 2021.

Santiago peppered her name across the top of the MAAC, thriving in 

non-conference matches and upping it a notch when competing in conference play. She ended the season second in the MAAC with 3.92 kills per set and led the conference for league-play kills per set with 4.36.

Reaching 1,000 career kills in the 2025 season, she became the 10th Bronc to achieve this milestone, and her 435 kills this year alone marked her fifth in the single-season program records.

Only getting better by year’s progression since arriving in Lawrenceville, Santiago began as an outside hitter from freshman to junior year, where she built up a strong resume.

Getting her foot in the door, she earned 11 starts her freshman year before launching up her sophomore season, starting 25 of her 26 appearances with a team-leading 230 kills on .231 hitting and earning second team All-MAAC honors.

In 2024, she only continued to break out, earning three All-Tournament appearances for the Northern Colorado, Georgetown/George Washington and MAAC tournaments.

Santiago, across her junior season, finished fourth in the MAAC with 350 kills, ninth in kills per set and sixth in blocks with 101 in her 31 starts that season. 

Throughout her career with the Broncs, Santiago’s play on the court has only grown with a catalyst season in 2025.

The Rider News will publish a feature story on Santiago in its April 22 issue.