Month: August 2024

Men’s tennis ranked No. 18 in preseason Top 25 Poll

The men’s tennis team has been ranked No. 18 in the NAIA Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll that was released on Aug. 21. The Saints excelled last season with multiple top 25 rankings.

The Saints finished last season with a 19-8 overall mark. They lost only two out of 13 home matches and were 4-2 on the road. The season was highlighted by an 11-match winning streak from Feb. 25-March 29. OLLU hosted the NAIA Unaffiliated Tournament at Blossom Tennis Center and lost to No. 10-ranked Xavier University of Louisiana 4-2 in the championship match.

The 2024-25 preseason poll follows this format:

Rating Methodology:

  • The rating was rated by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and unaffiliated groupings.
  • The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each rater rates the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place, 28 for third-place and so on through the list.
  • The highest and lowest ratings for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) are removed. The team’s rating will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the team appears on.
  • Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes.”

See full story on Saints Athletics website.

Welcome back, Saints!

OLLU is excited to welcome new and returning students today for the first day of classes for the 2024-2025 academic year. If you need assistance locating classrooms or if you have any questions, visit the Welcome Desk at the entrance to Main Building for assistance.

Stop by the Renaissance Parlors today from 9-11 a.m. for Donuts with the Student Government Association (SGA) and from Noon-1:30 p.m. for Snack and Chat with the Student Affairs division.

Throughout the week there will be a variety of Welcome Week events to help students ease into the semester. Check out the flier below.

Welcome back and good luck with your first week of classes!

Ukrainian Independence Day event will be held on campus Saturday

The Ukrainian School of San Antonio, which holds classes on the OLLU campus, will host a Ukrainian Independence Day celebration on Saturday at noon in Main Building, Room 311. The OLLU community is invited to join the celebration.

The Ukrainian School has been meeting on the OLLU campus for more than a year. It teaches Ukrainian language and culture to children living in San Antonio and South Texas. Many of the children and their families have been displaced by the war in Ukraine.

The Independence Day celebration will include performances by the children from the school, music and a potluck meal featuring Ukrainian dishes.

OLLU Professor and District 4 City Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia will welcome participants on behalf of the City of San Antonio.

Dr. Anderson recognized for distinguished service

Congratulations to Kathryn Anderson, PhD, Professor of Psychology, who was awarded the Sue Rosenberg Zalk award for distinguished service to the Society for the Psychology of Women, Division 35 of the American Psychological Association. 

Volleyball ranked second in RRAC preseason poll

The Saints volleyball team was ranked second out of nine programs in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) 2024 Volleyball Preseason Poll. You can see the top-ranked team in action Friday at home when they kick off their Volleyesta Tournament at 2:30 p.m. against Nelson University.

The Saints have won the regular-season title three years in a row, while Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) has captured every postseason title in the same span. The Saints took the Gold Nuggets to five sets in all three championship matches. OLLU went 15-1 in regular season conference play last year, with the only loss coming at the hands of Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT). The Saints only lost six sets in 16 conference matches. 

The top-ranked Gold Nuggets received four first-place votes in the poll. The Saints are second with three first-place votes and TAMUT is third with one vote. Louisiana Christian University also received one first-place nod and is in the fourth spot. Paul Quinn College is fifth, followed by Jarvis Christian University in sixth, University of the Southwest in seventh, Huston-Tillotson University in eighth and Texas College in ninth. Voting is conducted by the conference’s head coaches. 

The Saints welcome nine freshmen and two transfer athletes for the upcoming season. The squad is led by seniors Julissa Casas, Camila Ramirez and Tina Trevino. Head Coach Scott Mattera enters his sixth season, while Assistant Coach Raven Swain begins her second season.

OLLU women’s soccer begins new era

The women’s soccer team is ushering in a new era with the appointment of Lee Williams as Head Coach this summer. Williams, a former graduate assistant for the soccer teams at OLLU, brings with him a master’s degree from OLLU and an illustrious soccer coaching career. His return is marked by a strong dedication to the program and a fervent passion for the success of the women’s team, inspiring a new wave of enthusiasm. 

Williams joins one of the university’s most successful teams, which has a rich history of achievements. This includes two tournament runners-up, four tournament semifinalists, one quarterfinal and an impressive five tournament championships and six regular-season titles. In 17 seasons, the women have missed the postseason just twice. This successful history sets a high standard for the upcoming season and gives everyone a reason to be excited and optimistic. 

Schedule overview (Numbers after school indicate all-time records.) 
The Saints will visit NCAA D2 St. Mary’s University (3-5-3) on the Aug. 19. They will host NCAA D3 Schreiner University (8-0-1) on Aug. 23, followed by a match at NCAA D3 Texas Lutheran University (7-2) on Aug. 26 in Seguin. 

They will travel to Oklahoma City University (4-4-1) on Aug. 29 and Chickasha, Okla., to play the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (1-3-2) on Aug. 31. After two more nonconference matches vs. NCAA D2 University of Texas Permian Basin on Sept. 5 and at Schreiner University on Sept. 9, the Saints will begin their conference schedule. They will travel to Louisiana for a match against LSUS (8-4-3) on Sept. 19, followed by a game at TAMUT (6-3-1) on Sept. 21. The women return home to host TC (15-0) on Sept. 26 and JCU (9-0-1) on Sept. 28. 

OLLU will travel to New Mexico to play USW (30-3) on Oct. 3 and to Dallas to play PQC (9-0) on Oct. 5. They return to host AM-SA (1-0-2) on Oct. 12 before hitting the road again against XULA (0-1) on Oct. 17 and NAU (1-0) on Oct. 19. The Saints will host LSUA (9-2-1) on Oct. 24 and LCU (2-2-1) on Oct. 26 before heading out to UHV (14-1-2) on Oct. 31. The team will play their last game of the season at home against HTU (13-3) on Nov. 2. 

The RRAC postseason runs from Nov. 8-9 at campus sites, and the semifinals will take place Nov. 14-16 at Morgan Field in Texarkana, Texas. 

Senior class 
The Saints will be led by eight seniors this season, including standouts Haven Ortiz, Lyndee Rheinberger, Samantha Valadez and Ez Valles, who returns as a graduate student. Other seniors include London Suarez, Dusty Van Huss, Sara Nishiyama and Olivia Olivarez. 

Other returners 
Standout juniors include Sara Garza, Savanna Serna, Bethany Garr, Vivianna Gutierrez and Emerson Weiler, as well as Kaitlyn Olivas and Gabrielle Pace. 

Sophomores returning are Elizabeth Gregurek, Sofia Davila, Leah Tapia, Allison Kostoch, Odet Mota, Mia Saenz and Anisia Serrano. 

Newcomers 
Newcomers include graduate student Emily Wissel-Littmann, juniors Shante Chacon and Julia Moreira, sophomores Eleonora Diversi and Chasity Valdez and freshmen Elena Alarcon, Angela Garcia, Katherine Delgadillo, Isabella Maldonado-Esparza, Mariana Medrano-Sanchez, Sadie Rios, Kayla Martinez and Leanne Garza. 

Academics 
In academics once again, the Saints have demonstrated their commitment to excellence, earning their 10th NAIA Scholar-Team Award. Of the 34 members of the team, 30 achieved GPAs of 3.0 and above. Nine achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA, 13 earned 3.50-3.99 GPAs, and eight had GPAs of 3.0-3.49. This academic success is a testament to the team’s dedication and hard work. 

Official opening of the 2024-2025 academic year

The 2024-2025 academic year officially kicks off this week with University Professional Development Days (UPPD) and Convocation.

UPPD begins Monday with New Faculty Orientation and continues throughout the week with sessions for all faculty and staff.

Convocation takes place Tuesday beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the University Wellness and Activities Center Mabee Gym. Lunch will follow immediately after the Convocation.

During the annual gathering, President Abel Chávez, MBA, PhD, will share his plans and vision for the year. There also will be presentations by the Faculty Assembly, Staff Assembly and Student Government Association presidents.

The Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, CM, will serve as keynote speaker at both UPDD and Convocation. Father Holtschneider is the immediate past president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) and served as president of DePaul University, the nation’s largest Catholic university, from 2004-2017. Father Holtschneider holds degrees in mathematics and theology, as well as a doctorate in higher education policy from Harvard University where he lectures on governance and strategy in higher education.

To view the full UPPD schedule visit the SharePoint site.

OLLU Convocation InviteDownload

Welcome new faculty

OLLU welcomes 12 new faculty members this academic year. They are:

Jeffrey Anderson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences Disorders

Shanna Bodenhamer, PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor of Special Education

Jazmine Garcia, MS, Visiting Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice

Suzanne Gonzalez, MFA, Visiting Assistant Professor of Visual and New Media Arts

Kimberly Kennedy, PhD, Associate Professor of Special Education

Chloe Lash, PhD, Assistant Professor of Plant Biology

Yvette Longoria, Assistant Professor of Counseling

Michelle Sanchez, MSW, Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Work

Manpreet Semwal, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology

Casey Taliancich-Klinger, PhD, Associate Professor of CSD and Director of CLD/Bilingual Certification Program

Karen Thomas, MLIS, Online and Extended Campus Librarian

Kyle Utterback, MS, Visiting Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Management

New semester will see the completion of three construction projects

Some exciting new spaces for students are expected to be complete in the first few months of this semester. They include the Experiential Learning STEM Studio in Metz Hall, the Graduate Center in the Sueltenfuss Library, and the Teaching and Community Garden at the Commerce Street entrance. Grant funding has made each of the projects possible.

The Experiential Learning STEM Studio will be a state-of-the-art makerspace that will facilitate hands-on, active and collaborative experiential learning activities. The space is being designed to strengthen problem-based learning.

The Graduate Center, located on the main floor of the library, will provide a consolidated space for Graduate Student Services, and new study spaces.

The Teaching and Community Garden is receiving new beds, irrigation, gravel pathways, a fence border and new fruit trees. In addition to using the garden for teaching, the produce will be shared through the Salud Center Food Pantry.