Category: News

Penalty kick propels men’s soccer to win over North American University

The men’s soccer team scored a late penalty goal to defeat North American University (NAU) 1-0 on Oct. 19. The Saints improve to 4-9-1 overall and 3-5-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Stallions drop to 4-6-2 overall and 2-4-2 in conference.

Head Coach Shane Hurley said, “Although our possessions were not as good as they should have been, we produced some really good opportunities and are a little unlucky to not have a second or third goal. The guys are excited about returning to defend our home field this week!”

History
The Saints won the only meeting against NAU last season.

Game recap
The first half was scoreless but was filled with offense. The Saints had eight shots compared to NAU’s four. The Stallions took two more corner kicks than the Saints and were forced to make four saves. The Saints played a clean first half with only one foul, while the Stallions were whistled for six. Both teams took six shots in the second half. OLLU’s offense was rewarded with a penalty kick at the 71st minute. Thiago Fernandes found the back of the net to put the Saints up 1-0. Andres Rocha earned a penalty kick later in the half but it was saved by NAU’s goalie. The Saints held on to win 1-0 backed by five saves from Dominic Pena. There were seven yellow cards shown with the Saints receiving two.

What’s next
The Saints host LSU-Alexandria on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

Women’s soccer blanks North American University 6-0

The women’s soccer squad raced past North American University (NAU) 6-0 on Oct. 19. The Saints improve to 7-3-2 overall and 6-2-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Stallions drop to 3-9-2 overall and 1-7-1 in conference.

Head Coach Lee Williams said, “It was great to see everyone play major roles during this really hard-fought game. We were happy with how we kept our standards high and played to our level. I’m proud with how we stuck to the game plan and were patient and persistent in possession. The movement was excellent today and created a lot of problems for them. We have two home games now and we get a chance to play in front of our tremendous fans! We will see you all on Thursday Saints fans!”

History
The Saints won the only meeting between the two programs 3-0 last season.

Game recap
OLLU’s first goal came from freshman Angela Garcia at the 26th minute. Lyndee Rheinberger scored eight minutes later with an assist from Anisia Serrano. The Saints took a two-goal lead to halftime after totaling eight shots and one corner kick. Haven Ortiz scored just minutes into the second half at the 47th mark. Garcia assisted on a goal by Leah Tapia at the 68th minute to increase the advantage to four goals. Emerson Weiler capitalized at the 73rd minute and Rheinberger scored her second goal of the game with three minutes left in the contest. NAU’s Andrea Davila was shown a yellow card at the 48th minute. Savanna Serna received a yellow card at the 67th minute. London Suarez played the first 47 mintues in net with four saves. Samantha Valadez took over in the second half and had one save. The Saints finished with 19 shots and five corner kicks.

What’s next
The Saints return home to host LSU-Alexandria on Thursday at 1 p.m.

Volleyball extends winning streak with wins over Huston-Tillotson

The volleyball squad marked two wins over Huston-Tillotson University (HTU) this weekend. The Saints improve to 16-7 overall and 9-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Rams fall to 3-16 overall and 3-9 in conference. The Saints have won nine straight matches.

History
The Saints were 31-3 against the Rams prior to the matches.

Match one on Oct. 18
The Saints played a solid first set to start the match on Friday. They marked 19 kills on 41 attacks, but HTU’s offense also sparked with only one error. The Rams won the first frame 25-22 after three attacking errors by the Saints when it was tied. OLLU bounced back in the second set with double-digit kills again. They held the Rams to a .192 hitting percentage and took the set 25-18. The third set was one-sided in the Saints favor. The Rams struggled with a negative hitting percentage and the Saints held them to seven points. The fourth set was competitive with both squads marking over 10 kills. The Saints started to pull away after leading 13-10. OLLU recorded multiple service aces and capitalized on attacking errors by the Rams. The Saints won in four sets to stretch the winning streak to eight matches.

Assistant Coach Raven Swain said, “The first match was close and HTU’s crowd had a lot of intensity. We struggled a bit in the first set with just playing our game. We settled in and executed the skills; we really thrived and came out successful with the win! Arianna Moreno had some great serving and Anais Velasquez had key blocks that shifted the momentum. We played well and are always happy to get another win on the board.”

Match two on Oct. 19
Saturday’s game was played at Mabee Gymnasium with the Saints as the away team. The second match was similar to the first, with the Rams taking the first set and the Saints fighting back by winning three straight. OLLU had 13 kills in the first set but committed 10 errors. They responded in the second set with 14 kills and only three errors. The Rams had a negative hitting percentage in the frame and the Saints evened the score. The Saints played a near flawless third set with 14 kills and only one error. They finished the match with nine kills in the fourth set. Mia Francis, Anais Velasquez, Mia Francis and Camila Ramirez had double-digit kills. Tina Trevino gathered 32 digs and Reynard had 27 assists. The Saints have victories in nine straight matches and have only lost five sets in the span.

Swain commented, “We played well but struggled again in the first set. We didn’t come in ready to play and weren’t being intentional about the little things. We committed errors and our defense wasn’t making plays that we normally make. We focused on playing our game and took control of the match. We had great kills by Mia Francis and great serving from multiple players that changed the energy of the game. We are happy for another win, but now it’s time to get back in the gym and continue to prepare for our next matches!”

Up next
The Saints host Texas College on Friday at 7 p.m.

Men’s basketball selected fifth in preseason conference poll

The men’s basketball team is fifth in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) 2024-2025 Preseason Poll released on Oct. 17.

Picked first is LSU-Alexandria with 165 points and 10 first-place votes. LSU-Shreveport comes in second with 146 points. Xavier University of Louisiana is third with 143 points and two first-place votes. The University of the Southwest is one spot above the Saints in fourth with 128 points. Jarvis Christian University trails OLLU in sixth with 77 points. Texas College is eighth with 76, followed by North American University with 70, Paul Quinn College with 69, Texas A&M University-Texarkana with 64, Louisiana Christian with 55, Texas A&M University-San Antonio (TAMUSA) with 52 and Huston-Tillotson University with 39.

The Saints finished in fifth place last season at 11-11 in conference and 14-15 overall. OLLU was also picked fifth in the 2023-2024 poll.

The RRAC expanded to 13 men’s basketball teams this season with TAMUSA adding the sport. They hired RRAC veteran and former Saints Head Coach Chris Dial.

Voting was conducted by the conference’s head coaches. Points were calculated through a 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 format.

The Saints open their season on Friday in Plainview, Texas, against Wayland Baptist University.

Community invited to ‘Call to Action’

The OLLU community is invited to “A Call to Action – The Journey of a Servant Leader,” a dialogue facilitated by Dr. Jane Grovijahn with special guest, District 4 Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia. The event will take place on Thursday at 5 p.m. in Main Building, Room 311. Listen to the story of Dr. Rocha Garcia’s journey of faith that led her to see public service as a way of life and a calling and learn how you can answer your own call to vote at this year’s upcoming election.

Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP by Tuesday through the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/VL7dJdRSjT

Questions? Contact Mission and Ministry at missionandministry@ollusa.edu or call 210-528-7171.

A CALL TO ACTIONDownload

Join Saints Programming Board for Halloween Fest

Get ready for a spooktacular night at the Saints Programming Board Halloween Fest on Friday from 6:30-10:30 p.m. on the Library Lawn.

Activities include:

  • Pumpkin Painting – Pick your perfect pumpkin and unleash your creativity!
  • Free Food – The first 50 OLLU students get a tasty treat from Mr. Meximum!
  • Purchase Food – Everyone else can buy delicious food from Mr. Meximum!
  • Movie Snacks – Enjoy snacks while you watch!
  • Outdoor Double Feature:
    • 7 p.m. – Hotel Transylvania
    • 9 p.m. – The Curse of La Llorona

This event is family-friendly until 8:45 p.m., so bring your friends and family for a fun-filled evening!

OLLU Rio Grande Valley campus to hold third annual Trunk or Treat

The OLLU Rio Grande Valley will host the La Feria community on Saturday during the third annual OLLU Trunk or Treat

“We’re gearing up for another fantastic event, and we need your help to make it even better. We are kindly requesting candy and/or monetary donations to ensure every child has a spook-tacular experience,” said Campus Director Cindy Mata-Vasquez.

Candy donations can be dropped off with Amy Peña or Cindy Mata-Vasquez at the OLLU RGV office at 1650 S. Main, La Feria, TX 78559.

If you would like to register to participate in the OLLU Trunk or Treat, you can do so by clicking the following registration link: https://forms.office.com/r/rHHnz9g0Zf

Thank you for your support in making this event a success for our community!

Father Moye’s Project: Providence and Living Legacy

The OLLU community is invited to the performance of “Father Moye’s Project: Providence and Living Legacy” Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. in Thiry Auditorium. This original one-act play was written and is directed by Antoinette F. Winstead, MFA, ACDP, OLLU’s Drama Program Head and Mass Communication faculty member. This play was made possible through funding from a NetVue Grant for Reframing the Institutional Saga, allowing for us to “re-examine and reframe” Our Lady of the Lake University’s (OLLU) “history, identity, and heritage in light of its present context.”

This memory play will take you from the beginning of Father John Martin Moye’s call to “serve the underserved,” and the Sisters of Divine Providence who kept his legacy alive, through the founding of OLLU, and the impact their dedication and hard work has had on the lives of so many who have benefitted from his providential vision to educate young girls who would not have otherwise received an education, to the present day and how his “Project” and the Congregation of Divine Providence continue to impact the lives of those who attend and have attended OLLU.

We ask all who plan to attend to RSVP by Oct. 25 by visiting the following submission form: https://forms.office.com/r/c0c3Vkcbug

For additional information, please contact the Mission and Ministry Division at missionandministry@ollusa.edu or call 210-528-7171.

The play is sponsored by the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, Mission and Ministry and the Drama Program.