Month: September 2023

Save the Date: CDP Heritage Day on Oct. 8 in Castroville

Heritage Day is just around the corner!

  • Date: Oct. 8
  • Location: Moye Retreat Center, Castroville, Texas

Heritage Day is a tribute to the collective spirit, heritage, and the transformative impacts of the Sisters of Divine Providence. It is also an opportunity to strengthen shared bonds, to reminisce about the collective past, and to dream about the collective future. Moye Retreat Center has been a part of the Castroville community since 1868. This Heritage Day, we endeavor to celebrate the past while illuminating the path forward.

Activities during Heritage Day:

  • Make shared memories: Walk the grounds and take in the living history of the Moye Retreat Center. Talk with the Sisters. Make new friends. Enjoy the day!
  • Try your luck with the quilt raffle, delve into the treasures of the silent auction, and grab a few gifts from the craft sale. Pick out something for your garden from the plant sale. Savor a delightful array of homemade treats at the bake sale.
  • Explore the children’s area which will have a petting zoo, face painting, pumpkin decorating and more. Hay bales and festive decorations will be set up, perfect for capturing fall family photos.
  • Experience the choreographic beauty of Alsatian dancers.
  • Order a BBQ Plate: A delicious combination of BBQ Chicken, Alsatian Sausage, and sides!

Volleyball downs Paul Quinn in two matches

The volleyball team won both matches against Paul Quinn College (PQC) over the weekend. The Saints improve to 9-8 overall and remain undefeated in Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) play at 6-0. The Tigers drop to 5-5 overall and 2-4 in conference.

History
The Saints were 7-0 against the Tigers prior to the matches.

Friday
Head Coach Scott Mattera commented, “We were in control and playing clean volleyball but for some reason we just didn’t come out ready for game three. The serve receive broke down and we allowed them to catch fire. The upperclassmen got it done with Camila Ramirez and Madalyn Gonzalez both finishing with double digit kills and high hitting percentages!”

Basics
The Saints held the Tigers to under .100 hitting percentage on Friday in a four-set victory. The Saints won the first two sets and had a .455 hitting percentage in the first frame. The Tigers took the third set behind 15 kills. OLLU responded with 16 kills and only two errors in the fourth frame to take the match.

Scoring overview
Set One – OLLU 25 – PQC 16

Set Two – OLLU 25 – PQC 21

Set Three – PQC 25 – OLLU 22

Set Four – OLLU 25 – PQC 12

Set review
In the first set, OLLU recorded 18 kills and three errors on 33 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .455.

The Saints had 16 kills in the second set and seven errors on 41 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .220.

In the third set, OLLU recorded 10 kills and three errors on 44 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .159.

 The Saints had 16 kills in the fourth set and two errors on 29 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .483.

On the offense
Overall, the Saints had 60 kills for a hitting percentage of .313. PQC totaled 37 kills for a hitting percentage of .085.

Gonzalez led the Saints with 16 kills. Lauren Reynard assisted on 45 plays for OLLU.

Defensive standouts
OLLU had a total of 69 digs, led by Tina Trevino with 22. Allison Mata assisted on two blocks.

Serving it up
Reynard and Mia Francis led the Saints with two service aces apiece.

Saturday
Mattera said, “Credit to Paul Quinn College, they took advantage of our complacency and caught us flat footed with tips and dumps. Our pins played well offensively, and we were able to overcome it. This was a good opportunity to learn, and we’ll get that cleaned up at practice this week!”

Basics
The Saints finished play at Paul Quinn with a sweep on Saturday. OLLU hit .462 in the first set and .342 in the third set. The Tigers tested the Saints in the final frame, but OLLU was able to pull out a 26-24 win to remain undefeated in the RRAC. The Saints have never lost to the Tigers with a 9-0 series advantage.

Scoring overview
Set One – OLLU 25 – PQC 23

Set Two – OLLU 25 – PQC 16

Set Three – OLLU 26 – PQC 24

Set review
In the first set, OLLU recorded 21 kills and three errors on 39 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .462.

The Saints had 15 kills in the second set and five errors on 37 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .270.

In the third set, OLLU recorded 16 kills and three errors on 38 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .342.

On the offense
Overall, the Saints had 52 kills for a hitting percentage of .360. PQC totaled 36 kills for a hitting percentage of .177.

Mia Dorsey and Ramirez led the Saints with 15 kills each. Reynard assisted on 49 plays for OLLU.

Defensive standouts
OLLU had a total of 51 digs, led by Reynard and Julissa Casas with nine each. Gonzalez assisted on three blocks.

Serving it up
Francis led the Saints with three service aces.

Up next
The Saints battle Texas A&M University-Texarkana at home on Friday at 7 p.m.

Men’s soccer downs Texas College 6-1

The men’s soccer team defeated Texas College (TC) 6-1 in a Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) matchup on Sept. 21.

Head Coach Shane Hurley commented, “After some initial lackluster energy, we stepped up and brought an improved willingness to get forward on and off the ball. We had improved energy in transition that helped us create opportunities and regain possession quickly. We need to continue to build upon our positives as there’s potential there. Coach Jesus Cortes and I are pleased with the energy the team grew into today.”

History
The Saints are 11-2-1 against the Steers. Last season, the Saints defeated TC 4-0. 

Basics
The Bulldogs scored first at the fifth minute by Anas El.  After a TC shot, Samuel Villegas had his header go wide right, and Pape Gueye shot one that went high. Villegas scored on the next play at the 15th minute unassisted. After one shot from the Steers that was saved by OLLU’s Dominic Pena, Nikola Saltchev found the back of the net on assists from Louis Nicholson and Stan Driessen. Six minutes later, Stan Driessen scored on an assist from Nicholson to give the Saints the 3-1 lead. The game stayed that way through the end of the first half.

The Saints controlled the offense at the beginning of the second half with shots on goal from Adrian Maldonado and Matthew Banda. At the 56th minute, Nicolas Murgas scored the Saints’ fourth goal on an assist from Driessen. At the 60th minute, Villegas scored his second goal and the Saints fifth on an assist from Saltchev. A little more than three minutes later, Villegas recorded a hat trick to give the Saints the 6-1 lead and win.

Scoring overview
5′ – TC – Anas El

17′ – OLLU – Samuel Villegas

23′ – OLLU – Nikola Saltchev, assisted by Louis Nicholson and Stan Driessen

29′ – OLLU – Stan Driessen, assisted by Louis Nicholson

56′ – OLLU – Nicolas Murgas, assisted by Stan Driessen

60′ – OLLU – Samuel Villegas, assisted by Nikola Saltchev

64′ – OLLU – Samuel Villegas, assisted by Nicolas Saltchev

Inside the box score
The Saints recorded nine shots in the first half and 13 in the second; they had a total of 14 on goal. The Steers marked four shots in the first half and three in the second half; they had a total of four on goal.

OLLU recorded 9 corner kicks and the Steers had three.

Dominic Pena played close to 70 minutes on goal and had three saves. Alejandro Avila played the final 20 minutes of the game. TC’s Emiliano Yanez played the whole game and recorded seven saves.

Up next
The Saints play at home Thursday at 3:30 p.m. against the University of the Southwest.

Women’s soccer defeats Texas College 9-0

The women’s soccer team shut out Texas College (TC) 9-0 in a Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) matchup Sept. 21.

Head Coach Victoria Vazquez commented, “We had a great offensive performance that took a while to come to fruition. However, I am proud of the patience we showed. Overall, it was a collaborative effort, and we will prepare for our next match.

History
The Saints are 15-0 against the Steers. Last season, the Saints defeated TC 14-0. The Saints have allowed just one goal against the team – in 2009, when they won 6-1. All other games have been shutouts.

Basics
The Saints took the first shot against the Steers after 25 seconds into the match. Vivianna Gutierrez‘s kick went wide left, and Lyndee Rheinberger followed 28 seconds later with a shot that went wide left. Allison Kostoch had the game’s first shot on goal just before the two-minute mark. The Saints proceeded to take four more shots on goal and six shots before Ijayla Criswell found the net for the Saints’ first goal. Katelyn Brandao assisted on the point.

The Saints continued to dominate with three more shots, four on goal before the women scored their second goal at the 35th minute. Sara Garza gave the Saints the 2-0 lead with the unassisted goal.

Two more shots, one on goal, preceded the Saints’ third goal at the 40th minute. Ez Valles found the back of the net to give the Saints the 3-0 lead. Just three minutes later, the Saints scored their fourth goal. Garza had her second goal of the game on an assist from Emerson Weiler. A fifth goal ended the first half. Garza logged her first collegiate hat trick when she scored off an assist from Valles.

The Saints marked seven shots and seven on goal before Rheinberger scored the team’s six goal off an assist from Samantha Benne at the 64th minute. Twenty-nine seconds later, Leah Tapia found the net on an assist from Weiler. Four shots, two on goal, preceded the team’s eighth goal from Dusty Van Huss, on an assist from Brandao. Three shots came before Lilliana Martinez scored OLLU’s ninth and final goal of the game on an assist from Bethany Garr.

Scoring overview
28′ – OLLU – Ijayla Criswell, assisted by Katelyn Brandao

35′ – OLLU – Sara Garza

40′ – OLLU – Ez Valles

43′ – OLLU – Sara Garza, assisted by Emerson Weiler

44′ – OLLU – Sara Garza, assisted by Ez Valles

64′ – OLLU – Lyndee Rheinberger, assisted by Samantha Benne

65′ – OLLU – Leah Tapia, assisted by Emerson Weiler

77′ – OLLU – Dusty Van Huss, assisted by Katelyn Brandao

87′ – OLLU – Lilliana Martinez, assisted by Bethany Garr

Inside the box score
The Saints recorded 30 shots in the first half and 28 shots in the second half, with a total of 33 on goal. The Steers had no shots in the game.

OLLU recorded 10 corner kicks and the Steers had none.

Tess Pitcher played the first half to earn the win; Elizabeth Gregurek substituted in to play the second half – none recorded any saves. Dallanna Rodriguez for Texas College recorded 24 saves.

Up next
The Saints host the University of the Southwest on Thursday at 1 p.m. on the OLLU Soccer Field.

OLLU receives $3 million Title V grant for Kinesiology program

OLLU has received a $3 million Title V grant from the U.S. Department of Education to enhance the Kinesiology program, the second largest major at the university. The project, “Transforming STEM Identity at OLLU: Advancing Kinesiology,” is designed to improve student performance and graduation rates.

The project will focus on student athletes. Seventy-eight percent of Kinesiology majors compete in OLLU athletics. 

“This grant will provide an opportunity for our students to graduate with real-world experience, certifications and research,” said project director Emily Sauers, PhD,  Associate Professor of Kinesiology. “Whether our students pursue graduate work or enter the workforce, they will be highly competitive candidates for any future endeavor.” 

The $3 million grant will be disbursed over five years and will focus on several equity-driven, evidence-based projects. Funds will be used to renovate the kinesiology lab, create a Women’s Metabolic Institute focused on cardiometabolic health in Latinas, and upgrade equipment to enhance experiential learning. 

“This grant is critical for Kinesiology,” Dr. Sauers said. “The implementation of new programs and infrastructure will put OLLU Kinesiology on the map.”

United Way accepting applications for Child Care Scholarships

The United Way is accepting applications for Child Care Scholarships through Oct. 15, with recipients receiving an average award of $14,000 for quality child care.

The annual cost of child care – which averages $9,300 in Texas – is difficult for many San Antonio families to afford, often forcing parents to delay or cancel their higher education plans altogether. The scholarship removes this financial barrier to education. To learn more visit: https://www.uwsatx.org/blog/child-care-scholarships-open-oct15/

To apply for the scholarship:

Child Care Scholarships

OLLU will hold its annual Workplace Charitable Campaign for 2023, beginning Oct. 23. United Way representatives will share United Way program offerings at the Oct. 25 SAFE event in the University Mall.

Free COVID test kits available through government starting today 

As COVID-19 cases increase in Texas and the U.S., the Biden Administration has announced that consumers will be able to get four free COVID home tests per household, beginning today, through the government-run website: CovidTests.gov.

The Department of Health and Human Services will award $600 million to a dozen domestic COVID-19 test manufacturers to shore up the government’s supply of home tests. The investment will deliver about 200 million new over-the-counter COVID-19 tests.

University community members are encouraged to take advantage of this offer as testing is no longer available on campus.

OLLU-Houston holds annual fall Blessing Ceremony

Working collaboratively to accomplish goals was the focus of the third annual Blessing Ceremony that launched the new academic year at OLLU-Houston on Sept. 16.

Dozens of students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and community members attended the event during a break between morning and afternoon classes. 

The Office of Mission and Ministry, under the leadership of Vice President Gloria Urrabazo, worked with the #TeamOLLUHouston on the program, which included different experiences for those who attended.

This year’s program participants included George Williams, PhD, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Jared Montoya, PhD, Associate Provost for Graduate and Online Programs. Dr. Williams offered reflections about the power of hope, determination, and perseverance inspired through faith. 

“We have to consider the whole person when supporting our students,” said Gloria Goode, Houston’s Student Success Coordinator. She continued, “Our students are balancing graduate school, work, family, and other obligations. Our goal is to emphasize how together we can help them navigate their program.” 

Save the Date: Third Annual 1st Gen. Student Celebration set for Nov. 8

National First-Generation College Celebration Day is Nov. 8. Each year on or around this day, hundreds of institutions plan activities to raise awareness of the first-generation college student identity.

At OLLU, The First Gen. Student Organization will host a celebration in the Mall Area from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. with other student organizations, campus departments, and members of the local community to celebrate those who are first-generation college students.

A first-generation college student is a student whose parents nor legal guardians have an earned a bachelor’s degree.

For more information or to sign up your organization, email: firstgenerationstudent@ollusa.edu.