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.
SALINA, Kan. – Top-seeded Johnson (Tenn.) used a 5-run fourth inning and a 7-run seventh inning to pull away from the fourth-seeded Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) Saints for a 20-10 victory in the first round of the Salina Bracket of the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round at Dean Evans Stadium.
The victory boosts the Royals record to 38-12 heading into Tuesday’s match-up with the host Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes at 2:30 p.m. at Dean Evans Stadium. Our Lady of the Lake falls to 34-19 and will face Concordia (Neb.) in an elimination game at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
Travis Hobbensiefken put the Royals up 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning with a RBI single that scored JJ Menesini who walked earlier in the inning.
OLLU tied it on Diego Zuniga‘s homer in the second, but Johnson grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the inning as Luke Wilson singled to bring home Christian Altamirano who walked and moved up on a passed ball in the inning.
Johnson’s five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning game on a 2-run double by Luke Wilson, a Hobbensiefken RBI single, an error on a double steal and a RBI single by Izaak Fernandez to put the Royals up 7-1.
OLLU came back with four runs in the top of the fifth inning as Drew Saucedo singled to bring in Benjamyn Hovda, a wild pitch allowed Christian Martinez to score, Joshua Milton had a RBI single and Zuniga knocked home a run with a hit.
The Saints got within a run on a single by Brett Atkinson in the sixth, but got no closer. Johnson put two on the board in the sixth, the first run coming on a wild pitch and the second on Altamirano’s single.
OLLU added two more in the seventh on a single by Hivda to score Gonzalez and Juan Garcia‘s RBI double, but Johnson would pull away in the bottom of the inning with seven runs.
Mitchell Birdsall hit a 3-run homer to start the scoring, and was followed by Joseph Brown’s RBI double, a RBI single by Altamirano and JJ Menesini’s 2-run ground-rule double.
Jack Kalisky homered for OLLU in the eighth, but the Royals would end it on the run-rule in the bottom of the frame. Braden Frank singled to bring in Andrew Wilford, Altamirano singled home a run and Grayson Shehan would close things out with a 2-run single to left center to push the Royals out to a 20-10 lead.
Hovda had four hits for Our Lady of the Lake to lead the Saints. Donovan Gamez took the loss allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits, with four walks in an inning-plus of work as OLLU used seven pitchers in the game.
Altamirano had four hits for the Royals and Wilson added three as Johnson had 20 hits in the game. Three players drove in three runs each. Kaleb Townsend got the win going five innings, allowing five runs on nine hits with four strikeouts.
Klamath Falls, Oregon- Our Lady of the Lake delivered an explosive offensive performance to earn a 13-7 victory over St. Thomas in a game filled with momentum swings and clutch hitting. The Saints collected 20 hits and scored in six different innings, overpowering St. Thomas late to secure the win.
OLLU wasted no time setting the tone offensively. Arianna Alejandro led the charge from the top of the lineup, finishing with three hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored, while also adding a stolen base. Reanna Aguirre matched that effort with three hits, two RBIs, and two runs of her own. Lilly Rocha provided one of the game’s biggest moments with a three-run home run as part of a three-hit outing, while Marisa Rosales stayed red hot at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a home run, double, and three RBIs.
Caitlin Casas was another major contributor for the Saints, recording three hits and scoring three runs, including two doubles that kept pressure on the St. Thomas defense throughout the afternoon. Marina Litterio added an RBI double, while Alyssa Guzman chipped in with an RBI single as OLLU continued to pile on offense inning after inning.
Despite the final margin, St. Thomas battled early behind a powerful performance from Jade Fayad. Fayad finished with two hits, including a five-run home run that helped keep the Celts within striking distance. Alahnis Berrios added a double and scored twice, while Emma Edwards recorded two hits in the loss.
The game remained competitive through the middle innings as St. Thomas collected nine hits overall, but OLLU’s offense proved too consistent to contain. The Saints capitalized on timely hitting and aggressive baserunning to regain control late in the game.
Inside the circle, Annika Litterio started for OLLU and worked through four innings before Valeria Vielma entered in relief. Vielma shut the door over the final three innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three to earn the win and improve to 11-3 on the season.
St. Thomas starter Johana Magaldi took the loss after allowing nine runs over 4.1 innings, while Christina Ortiz pitched the final 1.2 innings in relief.
