College Station, Texas- The Our Lady of the Lake University men’s and women’s cross country teams competed against a strong field Saturday at Texas A&M, with both squads gaining valuable experience against a mix of NCAA Division I and Division II competition.
The OLLU men finished ninth in the team standings in the 8K, totaling 263 points. The Saints were led by freshman Izaac Moran, who crossed the finish line in 25:20.9 to place 27th overall.
Junior Jesus Lopez followed Moran, finishing 34th in 25:33.0. Junior Juan Perez recorded a time of 26:27.9 to place 62nd, while junior Jesus Gonzalez finished 64th in 26:29.4. Junior Jose Poblano rounded out OLLU’s scoring five, placing 76th in 27:07.7.
The Saints’ next two runners were freshman Andres Gonzalez, who finished 83rd in 27:37.2, and junior Luis Adams, who placed 87th in 28:02.5.
OLLU finished with a team time of 2:10:59 and an average of 26:11 per runner. Stephen F. Austin claimed the men’s team title with 39 points, followed by Texas with 58 and TCU with 72.
On the women’s side, the Saints were represented by a young group competing in the 5K. Sophomore Zaddie Santacruz led OLLU with a 19:27.7 finish, placing 76th overall.
Senior Jocelynn Reyes was next across the line for the Saints, finishing 113th in 21:47.3. Freshman Serenity Williams posted a time of 22:43.2 to place 116th, followed by sophomore Claudia Lopez in 117th at 22:49.8.
The competition provided OLLU with an opportunity to test itself against a deep field that included nationally competitive programs. SMU swept the top three individual spots in the women’s race, while Stephen F. Austin’s Mercy Kipchumba was fourth. Texas A&M’s Alexandra Fox led the Aggies with a ninth-place finish in 17:35.1.
San Antonio, Texas- The Our Lady of the Lake University women’s volleyball team picked up a pair of wins over Louisiana Christian this week, earning a 3-1 victory before completing the sweep with a 3-0 triumph at Mabee Gymnasium.
The Saints improved to 7-9 overall and 3-1 in conference play following the two victories, while Louisiana Christian fell to 1-9 overall and 0-2 in conference action.
OLLU opened the week with a 3-1 victory, winning the first set 25-11 before Louisiana Christian edged the Saints 27-25 in the second. OLLU responded emphatically, taking the third set 25-10 before closing out the match with a 25-16 fourth-set victory.
Sophia Castillo anchored the defensive effort with 19 digs, and Arianna Moreno distributed the offense with 11 assists. Josalynn Saldana recorded three service aces, while Gregory-Obiedo added two.
The Saints returned to action against Louisiana Christian at Mabee Gymnasium and delivered a dominant performance, sweeping the Wildcats 25-10, 25-20, 25-15.
OLLU controlled the match from the opening serve, hitting .407 as a team in the first set and .345 in the third. The Saints finished the match with a .265 hitting percentage while limiting Louisiana Christian to a .034 mark.
Gregory-Obiedo again paced the attack with 10 kills and added three service aces. Anais Velazquez Figueroa recorded nine kills, while Maylin Ortega and Bailey Scott each contributed seven. Nicole Bir added four kills while hitting .429 and chipped in four total blocks.
Moreno continued to direct the Saints’ offense, finishing with 16 assists, while Sofia Chapa added 14 assists. Castillo recorded 12 digs to lead the defensive effort, with Ortega adding nine.
With the back-to-back victories, OLLU moved to 3-1 in conference play and continued to build momentum in the early portion of its league schedule. The Saints will look to carry that momentum into their upcoming matches as conference competition continues.
San Antonio, Texas- The Our Lady of the Lake University women’s soccer team battled Wiley University to a 1-1 draw, overcoming an early deficit and playing the final portion of the match with 10 players.
Wiley struck first in the 22nd minute when Grace Reed found the back of the net off an assist from Eleonora Diversi, giving the home side a 1-0 advantage at halftime.
OLLU responded in the second half when Mariah Williams scored an unassisted goal in the 61st minute to bring the match level at 1-1. Williams led the Saints with four shots and three shots on goal while recording OLLU’s lone goal.
The Saints continued to generate opportunities throughout the second half, finishing the match with 19 shots, including seven on target. Leah Tapia added three shots with one on goal, while Diversi recorded six shots and three shots on goal while also earning an assist.
OLLU goalkeeper Avery Palmer made three saves over 90 minutes to help preserve the draw. Wiley goalkeeper Destiny Allison recorded six saves.
The Saints faced additional adversity in the 66th minute when Samantha Rodriguez and Wiley’s Monica Sanchez were both issued red cards, leaving both teams with 10 players for the remainder of the match. OLLU also received a yellow card in the contest.
OLLU controlled much of the attacking play, earning eight corner kicks compared to none for Wiley. The Saints finished with 19 shots to Wiley’s six and held a 12-7 advantage in shots during the second half.
The draw gave OLLU another hard-fought result as the Saints continued their season against a competitive Wiley squad.
San Antonio, Texas- The Our Lady of the Lake University men’s soccer team delivered a strong defensive performance and a three-goal first half to defeat Wiley University 3-0.
The Saints wasted little time finding the scoreboard, with Jovani Contreras opening the scoring just 2:31 into the match. Michael Joy provided the assist as OLLU took an early 1-0 advantage.
OLLU doubled its lead in the 35th minute when Alexis Vega finished a pass from Alessandro Sierra to make it 2-0. The Saints added another goal just before halftime, with Marouane Rouggani scoring in the 45th minute off another assist from Sierra.
OLLU carried its 3-0 advantage into halftime and maintained control throughout the second half. The Saints finished with 12 shots, including six on target, while limiting Wiley to nine shots and four on goal.
Contreras, Vega and Rouggani each found the back of the net for OLLU, while Sierra played a key role in the attack with two assists. Joy also recorded an assist on the opening goal.
The Saints’ defense held firm in the second half, keeping Wiley off the scoreboard despite the Wildcats’ opportunities. OLLU goalkeeper Zak Averns made four saves in 61 minutes of action, while Damian Eguez and Mario Rubio also saw time in goal to help preserve the shutout.
OLLU also controlled the corner-kick battle, earning 12 compared to three for Wiley.
The match became more physical as it progressed, with several yellow cards issued to both teams. Wiley’s Salvador Vazquez was shown a red card in the 62nd minute, leaving the Wildcats with 10 players for the remainder of the contest.
The 3-0 victory gave the Saints a complete performance on both sides of the ball, combining early offensive pressure with a disciplined defensive effort to secure the shutout.
San Antonio, Texas- The Our Lady of the Lake University men’s and women’s cross country teams opened competition at the UIW Twilight Meet, facing a strong field that included NCAA Division I programs Incarnate Word, Texas State and UTSA.
The OLLU men placed sixth overall in the 6K race with 178 points and a cumulative time of 1:44:16. Joseph Gonzalez led the Saints with a time of 19:39.49, finishing as the top OLLU runner in the field.
Joey Poblano followed Gonzalez with a time of 19:57.39. Luke Adams was next across the line for the Saints at 21:32.72, while Anthony Alaniz finished in 21:33.23 and Joel Telles recorded a nearly identical time of 21:33.28 to round out OLLU’s top five scorers.
Antonio Padilla completed the course in 21:52.40, and Joseph Trevino finished with a time of 22:45.85.
Incarnate Word won the men’s team title with 28 points, followed by Texas State with 57 points and UTSA with 63. Trinity University placed fourth with 94 points, while Blinn College finished fifth with 128 points.
On the women’s side, the Saints placed seventh overall in the 4K race with 196 points and a cumulative time of 1:26:36.
Zaddie Santacruz paced OLLU with a time of 15:28.88. Kristen Torres was the second Saint to finish, recording a time of 15:54.66.
Serenity Williams completed the course in 18:04.09, followed by Claudia Lopez at 18:15.57. Evee Rodriguez rounded out OLLU’s scoring five with a time of 18:53.19, while Norma Ramos finished in 18:54.88.
Texas State captured the women’s team championship with 31 points, narrowly edging Incarnate Word, which finished second with 35 points. Trinity University placed third with 65 points, followed by UTSA, Blinn College and Texas Lutheran.
The UIW Twilight Meet provided the Saints with an early-season opportunity to compete against a challenging field and establish a foundation as both programs continue their cross country seasons.
WHITE LAKE, Mich. (Aug. 31, 2026) – All three RRAC Volleyball Players of the Week are repeat winners from last week: LSU Shreveport’s Farah Helmy as Setter of the Week; Texas A&M Texarkana’s Lauren Herz as Defender of the Week; and Our Lady of the Lake’s (Texas) Alissa Gregory-Obiedo as Attacker of the Week. This is the second round of weekly awards for Aug. 24-30.
RRAC VOLLEYBALL SETTER OF THE WEEK – FARAH HELMY, LSU SHREVEPORT
LSUS senior setter Farah Helmy guided her team to 3-of-4 wins last week. In the Pilots’ 3-2 loss to Campbellsville (Ky.), she added 47 assists, two aces, 10 digs, and five blocks. Helmy led the team’s 3-2 win over Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) by tallying 35 assists, four aces, and 14 digs. The Pilots blanked Union Commonwealth (Ky.) and Kentucky Christian, and Helmy totaled 35 assists, two aces, and seven digs.
Helmy is a native of Cairo, Egypt, and a transfer from Oral Roberts University (Okla.).
This early in the season, she has already accumulated 194 assists to lead the conference. The Pilots are 4-3 overall.
Additional RRAC Volleyball Setter of the Week nominees: Emma Cother from Louisiana Christian, Ashlet Figueroa from Southwest (N.M.), Arianna Moreno from OLLU, Ashley Rhame from A&M-Texarkana
RRAC VOLLEYBALL DEFENDER OF THE WEEK – LAUREN HERZ, TEXAS A&M-TEXARKANA
A&M-Texarkana senior libero Lauren Herz played in all four of the Eagles’ matches last weekend, anchoring the back row as libero. She tallied 70 digs (4.38 per set) and had a .934 reception percentage. Herz also recorded four service aces and 18 assists. The Eagles, despite going 0-4 on the weekend, challenged top competitors as two of their losses came from nationally recognized teams, including NAIA No. 7 McPherson College (Kan.).
Hertz is in her second season with the Eagles. She is a native of Mapleton, Ill. Hertz is third this early in the season in digs with 117 and is second in digs/set at 4.88.
The Eagles are 1-6 overall.
Additional RRAC Volleyball Defender of the Week nominees: Nicole Bir from OLLU, Vivien Brouillette from LCU, Graciela Collazo from USW, Zamariya Lyons from LSUS
RRAC VOLLEYBALL ATTACKER OF THE WEEK – ALISSA GREGORY-OBIEDO, OUR LADY OF THE LAKE
OLLU junior outside hitter Alissa Gregory-Obiedo guided the Saints to two wins and two losses. In their 3-0 victory over Texas Wesleyan and 3-2 win over Evangel (No.), she tallied 25 kills, three blocks, and 23 digs. Total for the week for Gregory-Obiedo is 46 kills, a .146 hitting percentage, five aces, 50 digs, and six blocks.
Gregory-Obiedo leads the conference in kills with 129 and in service aces with 13. She is a San Antonio native and graduated from Harlan High School.
The Saints are 4-8 overall.
Additional RRAC Attacker of the Week nominees: Holly Rowe from LCU, Zamariya Lyons from LSUS, Aylani Washington from USW, Lesley Sanchez from TAMUT
RRAC Notebook
Setter of the Week nominees
LCU senior setter Emma Cother tallied 76 assists and 39 digs last week in her team’s 3-1 loss to Dillard (La.), 3-0 loss to Southern University of New Orleans, and 3-0 loss to Loyola (La.), and victory over Dillard (La.), 3-2.
USW freshman setter Ashlet Figueroa had 41 assists and six aces in her team’s victories over Texas College, 3-2, 3-0.
OLLU senior setter Arianna Moreno logged 78 assists, six aces, and 23 digs in her team’s 3-0 loss to McPherson (Kan.), 3-0 victory over Texas Wesleyan, 3-2 win over Evangel (Mo.), and 3-2 loss to Nelson (Texas).
A&M Texarkana sophomore setter Ashley Rhame played in all four matches for the Eagles and tallied 69 assists (avg. 4.3 a set), recorded 35 digs, and had two service aces. The Eagles, despite going 0-4 on the weekend, challenged top competitors as two of their losses came from nationally recognized teams, including No. 7 McPherson (Kan.).
Defender of the Week nominees
LCU freshman outside hitter Vivien Broullette contributed 12 blocks in her team’s three losses and two wins.
USW junior Graciela Collazo guided her team to two victories over Texas College. She logged three assists and 18 digs.
LSUS junior middle blocker Zamariya Lyons led her team to a 3-2 victory over Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), a 3-0 win over Union Commonwealth (Ky.), and a 3-0 victory over Kentucky Christian. The Pilots fell to Campbellsville, 3-2.
OLLU junior middle blocker Nicole Bir totaled 14 blocks last week.
Attacker of the Week nominees
LCU outside hitter Holly Rowe added 11 blocks last week.
LSUS’ Lyons recorded 34 kills for a hitting percentage of .351 and 12 total blocks last week.
USW freshman Aylani Washington made a difference each time she went into the game. This was her first collegiate match ever.
TAMUT freshman Lesly Sanchez played in three of the Eagles’ four matches this weekend. She recorded 22 kills with a hitting percentage of .093. Sanchez was most impressive from beyond the service line as she recorded six aces.
Waxahachie, Texas- Our Lady of the Lake University volleyball battled through two five-set matches on Day Two of tournament action Saturday, earning a dramatic victory over Evangel University before falling to Nelson University in a tightly contested finale.
The Saints opened the day with a 3-2 comeback victory over Evangel, overcoming a slow start to win by set scores of 13-25, 29-27, 18-25, 25-23 and 15-11. OLLU responded after dropping the opening set and later falling behind 2-1, winning the final two sets to secure the hard-fought victory.
Ashya Thompson led the Saints offensively against Evangel, recording 17 kills on 39 attacks while hitting .359. Alissa Gregory-Obiedo added 16 kills, while Cienna Turner finished with 13 kills and Charlotte Hawkins contributed 11. Gregory-Obiedo also recorded 17.5 points, while Bailey Scott added 10 kills across the two matches of the day.
The Saints showed significant improvement as the match progressed. After hitting -.056 in the opening set, OLLU hit .269 in the second set and .375 in the decisive fifth set. The Saints finished the match with 62 kills on 208 attacks and a .159 hitting percentage.
OLLU carried that momentum into its second match, taking Nelson to another five-set battle. The Saints split the first four sets with Nelson, winning the second and fourth sets, but Nelson edged OLLU 15-13 in the fifth to claim a 3-2 victory by scores of 25-18, 23-25, 25-21, 19-25 and 15-13.
Anais Velazquez Figueroa delivered her strongest offensive performance of the day in the second match, finishing with 17 kills on 35 attacks and a .343 hitting percentage. Gregory-Obiedo added 13 kills and hit .163, while Jocelyn Joyner also recorded 13 kills. Nicole Bir contributed five kills, and Bailey Scott finished with five kills.
The Saints were particularly effective in the fourth set, producing 17 kills while hitting .255 to force the decisive fifth set. Nelson, however, answered in the final frame, hitting .273 and holding OLLU to a .143 hitting percentage to close out the match.
Across the two matches, OLLU demonstrated its ability to compete in long, momentum-filled battles, playing 10 sets and twice pushing opponents to the limit. The Saints combined for 121 kills, 67 assists and 188 digs over the two matches while receiving notable offensive contributions from multiple players.
Gregory-Obiedo was a consistent presence throughout the day, totaling 29 kills between the two matches, while Velazquez Figueroa produced 30 kills and Thompson added 17 in the opening match. Joyner contributed 21 kills across the two contests.
Despite finishing Day Two with a 1-1 record, the Saints showed resilience throughout both matches, recovering from early deficits and forcing decisive fifth sets in each contest. OLLU now moves forward from the tournament with valuable experience gained from two competitive five-set matches.
The Saints are back in action, and there are plenty of opportunities for the OLLU community to show its blue-and-gold pride this fall.
Our Lady of the Lake University competes in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Throughout the year, OLLU student-athletes compete against conference rivals from across Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico, as well as other NAIA programs in tournaments and postseason competition.
OLLU supports approximately 425 student-athletes, and the university’s athletics program includes 21 intercollegiate teams. Fall brings men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, and men’s and women’s cross country into the spotlight, giving Saints fans plenty of chances to cheer on their teams throughout the semester.
Competition is already underway. Volleyball opened its 2026 season with home tournament action at Mabee Gymnasium in August, while soccer and cross-country schedules continue through the fall. Because game and meet days vary throughout the season, fans are encouraged to check the Saints Athletics master schedule for the latest dates, times, locations and results.
And don’t forget: some of the best support comes from the stands. OLLU students, faculty, and staff should bring their university ID to home games for free admission. General admission is $10, and those 12 and under get in for free. Military/Senior discount is $5.
So grab your OLLU gear, bring your Saints spirit and come support our student-athletes at their next home competition.
The OLLU Saints Softball team continues to show why the program remains one of the strongest in Saints Athletics. Entering the 2026 season ranked No. 12 in the NAIA preseason poll after a dominant 47-9 overall record and a 27-1 mark in conference play, the Saints have continued to bring energy, focus, and competitive play to every game.
From big hits at the plate to key defensive stops, the Saints are competing with confidence and teamwork while representing OLLU with pride. That success carried into the postseason, where OLLU captured the 2026 RRAC Championship and advanced into the NAIA national tournament, further underscoring the program’s high standard of excellence.
The program reflects the dedication of student-athletes who balance academics, athletics, and leadership on and off the field. As the season progresses, OLLU Softball remains focused on competing at a high level and pushing toward postseason success — one game at a time.
Go Saints! 🥎💙
Check out their schedule and current bracket standing.
San Antonio, Texas- At the Trinity Invite in San Antonio, the women of Our Lady of the Lake University produced several strong performances across the track and field events, highlighted by success in the sprint races, relays, and jumps.
Freshman Alex Wells led the way for the Saints in the sprint events. In the women’s 100 meters, Wells placed third overall with a time of 12.21 seconds against a competitive field that included athletes from St. Thomas and Trinity. Fellow freshman Morgan Young also delivered a strong effort, finishing fifth overall in 12.44.
Wells returned later in the meet to post another standout performance in the women’s 200 meters. Competing against NAIA-level competition, she finished second overall with a time of 24.95 seconds, trailing only Huston-Tillotson’s Chaleica Booker. Her result marked one of the top sprint performances of the day for OLLU.
In the women’s 400 meters, junior Morghan Neely recorded a third-place finish with a time of 59.31 seconds, continuing a consistent outdoor campaign for the Saints in the quarter-mile event.
OLLU also found success in the distance races. Junior Daylah Vega placed third in the women’s 1500 meters with a time of 5:19.78, while senior Liliana Hernandez finished fourth in 5:24.54. Senior Mia Curiel and freshman Claudia Lopez added sixth- and eighth-place finishes respectively, giving the Saints multiple scoring performances in the event.
Vega and Lopez later competed in the women’s 800 meters alongside the rest of the OLLU middle-distance group. Vega crossed in 2:40.90, while Lopez finished in 2:41.57.
The Saints earned one of their top results of the meet in the women’s 4×800-meter relay. The team of Madison Perez, Mia Curiel, Monica Sanchez, and Liliana Hernandez captured first place with a winning time of 9:34.93, giving OLLU a relay title at the Trinity Invite.
In the hurdles, sophomore Kymberli Cavazos represented the Saints in both hurdle events. Cavazos recorded a time of 17.48 in the 100-meter hurdles before returning to place third overall in the 400-meter hurdles with a mark of 1:09.09. Senior Bethany Garr also competed in the 400 hurdles, finishing fifth in 1:14.45.
OLLU continued to perform well in the field events. Sophomore Jeslynn Flores tied for second place in the high jump after clearing 1.55 meters, matching one of the top marks of the competition. Sophomore Jadae Freeman placed sixth in the long jump with a mark of 5.30 meters and added a fourth-place finish in the triple jump with a leap of 10.88 meters.
