OUAZ Director of Athletics Kevin Steele is proud to announce Wellington Afusia as the Head Coach for the Men's Volleyball team. This appointment will be effective immediately.

"It is a privilege to have had such a quality coach serving on our bench for the past five years.  Wellington has proven his abilities as a recruiter and coach, and more importantly he has done so while demonstrating his deep love for the Lord as a dedicated follower of Jesus," Steele said, "Wellington cares for his guys and that is shown on the court and off.  There is no doubt he will continue to build on the quality tradition built by Kyle Steele over the past seven years. He will make his own mark on the program and I can't wait to enjoy the future of the Spirit men's volleyball program."

Afusia has been the Assistant Coach for the OUAZ Men's Volleyball program for the last 5 seasons. In the 2024 season, the Spirit qualified for the NAIA Men's Volleyball National Tournament. In 2024, Afusia was named the NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, his second time winning the award (2022).

"I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to step into the role of head coach for the OUAZ Men's Volleyball program," Afusia said, "I am deeply grateful to Coach Kyle Steele for his invaluable mentorship and guidance throughout the past five years. I look forward to building on the foundation of success that he has created from the start."

Afusia started at OUAZ in 2019, where he was the Graduate Assistant before quickly rising to the lead assistant coach. His coaching prowess was instrumental in helping the team secure their first-ever conference championship and the program's second NCCAA National Championship during the 2022 season.

Afusia has helped shaped the Spirit into a dominant force during his time here at OUAZ. The program has made three NAIA National Tournament appearances and featured multiple All-American players during his five seasons in Surprise.

Originally from Southern California, Afusia first started playing volleyball at the age of 14 for Carson High School where he helped the program earn its first ever City Championship. He had a great club career as well, earning four medals while playing at The HBC Volleyball Club.

After his high school and club career, Afusia went on to pursue his college degree at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. He started the GCU Club Volleyball team while majoring in Business Management with minors in Accounting, Finance, and Economics all while being on an academic scholarship.

As a coach, Wellington has worked with a variety of teams and players. His accomplishments include time at Victorium Volleyball Club, where he helped guide teams to success at the regional level since 2018. He has also worked in multiple camps in clinics throughout Arizona over the last six years trying to grow the game of volleyball throughout the valley, further demonstrating his commitment to coaching and helping others improve their skills.

Afusia's wife, Olivia, is the Women's Volleyball Head Coach at OUAZ. Olivia and Wellington currently reside in Peoria with their two dogs, Stacy and Stanley.
Afusia takes over the position from Kyle Steele, who was named the Director of Volleyball at Jessup University.