Category: Sports

Second NAIA poll features men’s basketball as No. 20

The second NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll of the season has seen significant movement. Notably, OLLU, which received 20 votes in the first poll on Nov. 13, has made a remarkable leap to be ranked No. 20.

This marks a poignant milestone for the Saints, as it’s the first time since 2018 that they have been ranked in the poll. In that memorable season, the men’s team achieved rankings of 23rd, 18th, 16th, 19th and 21st.

The only other Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) team included in this second poll of the 2024-2025 season is LSU-Alexandria, which is ranked third – an improvement from sixth. LSU-Shreveport dropped out of the top 25.

OLLU continues to impress this season, marking victories in nine consecutive games, which is the best in team history. The Saints are outscoring their opponents 802-727 with victories over Wayland Baptist University, Southern University at New Orleans, Ave Maria University, Southeastern University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Louisiana Christian University, Texas A&M University – Texarkana, Jarvis Christian University and Texas College.

The Saints and the University of the Southwest are the only two teams undefeated in the Red River Athletic Conference. The Mustangs are 6-0 overall and 3-0 in conference.

Poll Methodology:

  • The NAIA Men’s Basketball Poll is for publicity purposes only and has no weight or bearing in the selection process for national championship field consideration.
  • The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and Continental Athletic Conference (Independents).
  • The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second place, and so on through the list.
  • The highest and lowest vote for each team (a non-vote is considered a low vote) is removed.
  • Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes.”
  • Frequency of polls occur bi-weekly.
  • Records listed are as of the end of the day on Monday of the poll week.

Men’s basketball defeats Texas College 82-73

The men’s basketball squad surged to a 82-73 win over Texas College (TC) on Nov. 26. The Saints jumped to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Steers are now 1-6 overall and 0-3 in conference.

Head Coach Marcus Thompson commented, “I’m proud of how the team played today. Texas College protects their court well and always plays tough. This was a tough conference road game for sure. The team did well battling adversity for a lot of things we can’t control. We had key players foul out early and the team did a good job of coming together and finding a way to win. This was a great team effort and I’m happy to get the win!”

History
The Saints were 18-10 against Texas College prior to the game.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Lonzo Rand led the Saints with 24 points, followed by Trey Law with 13. Law and Rob Gil had five rebounds apiece.

Texas College’s Ty’Quan Neal led the team with 19 points. Neal also led the squad with eight rebounds.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 25-of-43 from the field for a percentage of 58.1. They shot 6-of-15 from three-point range for 40 percent and hit 26-of-33 free throws for 78.8 percent. Texas College shot 25-of-60 for a percentage of 41.7, 3-of-18 three-pointers for 16.7 percent and 20-of-29 free throws for 69 percent. OLLU added 19 rebounds to Texas College’s 25.

Women’s basketball outlasts Texas College 69-62

The women’s basketball team improved to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) after downing Texas College (TC) 69-62 on Nov. 26. The Steers drop to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the RRAC.

Head Coach Tanya Ray said, “This is always a hard place to play and we did what was necessary to get the win today. We were able to withstand their runs and were able to answer each time.”

History
The Saints were 25-2 against the Steers prior to the game.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Plata led the Saints with 25 points, followed by Carlea Owens and Samantha Fields with 14 apiece. Owens also led in rebounds with 13 for a double-double. Isabella Jaramillo assisted on seven plays.

Tyler Pyburn had 19 points for the Steers. She grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds to earn a double-double. Cree McClemore led the Steers with four assists.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 24-of-54 shooting for 44.4 percent, 11-of-28 from three-point range for 39.3 percent and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line for 76.9 percent. Texas College shot 26-of-87 for 29.9 percent, 3-of-20 three-pointers for 15 percent, and 7-of-11 from the free-throw line for 63.6 percent.

Men’s basketball surges to 8-0 record with win over Jarvis

The men’s basketball team continued its undefeated season by racing past Jarvis Christian University (JCU) 96-86 on Nov. 23. The Saints improve to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Bulldogs fall to 2-5 overall and 2-2 in conference.

History
The Saints were 21-7 against the Bulldogs. Last season the Saints split the series losing the first game 70-73 and winning the second one 78-70.

Basics
The Saints shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and had two players with double digits. Trey Law totaled 11 points and Trevon Dennis had 13. Rob Gil created two turnovers, and the Saints hit 19-of-22 free throws. They scored 51 points in the half while the Bulldogs marked 42. The teams combined for 24 fouls and the Saints finished the frame with nine assists.

Jarvis shot better in the second half, but the Saints were able to keep up. Lonzo Rand and Kenyon Elliott had eight points apiece and both teams committed seven turnovers. The Bulldogs shot 40 percent from three-point range but were only able to get to the charity stripe three times. The Saints won by 10 points to remain undefeated. The Saints had 26 points off turnovers, which doubled the amount JCU was able to gather.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Elliott led the Saints with 16 points, followed by Law with 15. Four different players had four rebounds each. Wahkil Lopez led the squad with five assists.

Jarvis was led by Caleb Thompson with 17 points. Jorden Clark led the squad with five rebounds. Three different players had two assists apiece for the Bulldogs.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 34-of-64 from the field for a percentage of 53.1. They shot 6-of-23 from three-point range for 26.1 percent and hit 22-of-27 free throws for 81.5 percent. Jarvis shot 33-of-61 for a percentage of 54.1, 8-of-25 three-pointers for 32 percent and 12-of-16 free throws for 75 percent. OLLU added 29 rebounds to JCU’s 25, while the Bulldogs committed 15 turnovers, and OLLU had 14.

Up next
The Saints play at Texas College Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Women’s basketball dismantles Jarvis 100-70

The women’s basketball team scored triple-digit points in a convincing 100-70 victory over Jarvis Christian University (JCU) on Saturday. The Saints jump to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Bulldogs are now 0-5 overall and 0-4 in conference.

History
This was the first time the Saints have scored 100 points or more since 2020. The Saints ae 28-4 against the Bulldogs. Last season, the teams split with OLLU losing the first game 68-63 and winning the second one 62-52.

Basics
The Saints started strong by shooting 45 percent from the field in the first quarter. Both teams struggled from three-point range but the Saints forced six turnovers. They added 26 points in the second quarter and Carlea Owens had 15 points at the break. The Bulldogs shot 22.2 percent in the second quarter and the Saints didn’t allow a three-pointer. OLLU led by 22 points at halftime.

OLLU carried the momentum into the third quarter. Julia Plata hit three buckets from beyond the arc for nine points. Isabella Jaramillo assisted on three plays. The Saints scored 25 points in the quarter. The Bulldogs improved in the fourth quarter by scoring 30 points, but the deficit was too large to overcome. The Saints finished with 100 points, which is the most in a game since 2021. OLLU had 44 points in the paint and 20 points off turnovers.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Plata led the Saints with 22 points and four other players finished with double digits. Jaramillo and Alexandra Westerdijk Martin assisted on seven plays apiece. Owens grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

Jacy Reese led Jarvis with 16 points. Taylor Gordon totaled eight rebounds and Raniya White had four assists.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 38-of-67 shooting for 56.7 percent, 13-of-32 from three-point range for 40.6 percent and 11-of-13 from the free-throw line for 84.6 percent. Jarvis shot 23-of-75 for 30.7 percent, 2-of-13 three-pointers for 15.4 percent, and 22-of-33 from the free-throw line for 66.7 percent.

The Saints grabbed 35 rebounds, while JCU collected 39.

Up next
The Saints head to Tyler, Texas, to face Texas College Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Volleyball battled in opening round of nationals

The OLLU volleyball team fought hard against Concordia University, Nebraska (CUNE), losing two sets by just three points and one set by six to end their 2024 season in the Opening Round of the 45th Annual NAIA Volleyball National Championship. CUNE, which is ranked No. 2 in the NAIA, will move on to Pool Play with a 25-3 record, while the Saints finish the season with a 23-9 record.

Head Coach Scott Mattera commented, “Our ladies represented OLLU in a way that should make every member of the Saints community proud. They put up such a fight and handled themselves with such class. We were in every set with chances to win, but Concordia is No. 2 for a reason, and we made just a few more plays than we did. It was a fun, intense battle all the way through.

“Ani played great again, leading us in kills, and Lauren had a really nice match mixing things around and stealing points with timely dumps.”

Match recap
The Saints started each set with the lead, but CUNE pushed through to lead. However, the Saints remained within a short distance from the Bulldogs throughout the match. In the first set, the Saints tied six times before letting it slip away at 16-16. The Bulldogs won 25-22.

In the second period, the Saints led 3-2, and Julissa Casas’ serve scored five points to give them the lead 9-6. The teams tied four times, but the Bulldogs battled to win 25-19.

The Saints went up 5-2 to begin the third set, and they led until the Bulldogs tied at nine. A kill from Anais Velasquez to tie the game at 22-22 gave the Saints some hope, but CUNE scored three straight points to win the set 25-22 and the match 3-0.

Match stats
Lauren Reynard led the Saints in assists with 20, while Tina Trevino and Julissa Casas each added 10 digs. Velasquez contributed 10 kills on 22 total attacks for a .318 hitting percentage. Nicole Bir tallied two blocks, and Carly Dossett totaled three service aces.

CUNE had three players with double-digit kills. Ashley Keck had 15, while Kya Scott and Ella Waters each had 10. Rebecca Gebhardt added 16 digs, and Keck had 12. Savannah Shelburne recorded 21 assists, and Lily Psencik had 18.

OLLU’s stats included 38 kills and 14 errors on 113 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .212. The Saints scored 37 assists, 45 digs, and six service aces.

CUNE’s stats included 51 kills and 12 errors on 111 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .351. The Bulldogs added 47 assists, 55 digs, and four blocks.

Conclusion
The Saints finish with the fourth-best record in program history at 23-9. Other records include:

  • Most assists (1,453)
  • Most digs (1,995)
  • Most solo blocks (122)
  • Second most kills in a season (1,519)
  • Third most total blocks (195)
  • Third most kills in a match (71)
  • Tied for most assists in a match (68)
  • Tina Trevino tied for most digs in a match (39)
  • Tina Trevino – most career digs (2,086)
  • Tina Trevino – third most career matches played (118)
  • Tina Trevino – third most career sets played (413)
  • Camila Ramirez – most career kills (1,218)
  • Camila Ramirez – fourth most career sets played (406)
  • Lauren Reynard – second in career assists (2,714)
  • Anais Velasquez – second most blocks in a season (30)

Cross-Country teams competed at nationals in Missouri

The men’s and women’s cross-country teams competed at the NAIA Cross Country National Championship in Columbia, Missouri, last week.

The men’s team finished in 34th place in the 8000m. The College of Idaho won the team national title with 87 points. Milligan University was the team runner-up with 96 points.

Head Coach Brett Charlton commented, “The men’s team had a solid outing. Isai Moran ran very well. To be the top runner on a national qualifying team as a freshman is very impressive. He’s someone we feel we can build around in the future.”

Isai Moran was the Saints’ top finisher with a time of 25:38.7. He was followed by Sabastian Moreno with a time of 26:19.7, Joseph Gonzalez with a time of 26:33.5, JoseCarlos Hernandez with a time of 26:42.2, Jose Saucedo with a time of 26:52.3, Kruz Malesich with a time of 27:33.5 and Tony Favella with a time of 27:58.4.

The women’s team finished in 34th place in the 6000m. The Master’s University emerged as the team champion by one point over Taylor University. 

Coach Charlton commented, “The women’s team competed hard today. Mia Curiel ran a lifetime best in the 6K at 23:43. All the way around the board, the ladies left it on the course. It was an extremely fast field this season which is really good for NAIA cross-country.”

Mia Curiel was the Saints’ top finisher with a time of 23:43.2. She was followed by Victoria Bartlett, who had a time of 24:48.0. Liliana Hernandez was next with a time of 24:54.9. Leilani Leza marked a time of 24:55.5, followed by Valeria Peña at 26:03.2 and Claudia Helena Lopez at 26:59.0.

Overall, the 2024 NAIA cross country national championship was a highly competitive and exciting event that showcased the talent and dedication of the participating student-athletes.

Volleyball sweeps TAMUT to win conference championship, earns nationals berth

Join team at noon Monday to find out who they play in opening round

Head Coach Scott Mattera led the volleyball team to his second Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Championship Tournament Title on Saturday as the team swept Texas A&M University (TAMUT) in three sets. Their victory has earned them a berth in the NAIA National Championship Tournament.

The NAIA Selection Show will take place Monday at noon revealing who the Saints will face for the opening round and where the match will take place. A watch party will be held in UWAC Room 104, and all are welcome to attend.

RRAC Conference Tournament overview
The TAMUT Eagles, as the No. 1 seed, and OLLU, as the No. 2 seed, faced a challenging path to the finals. No. 4-seed Louisiana Christian University (LCU) and No. 5 Paul Quinn College battled it out, with LCU emerging victorious to face TAMUT in the first semifinals match. No. 3-seed Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) also fought hard, defeating No. 6-seed Jarvis Christian University to advance to the semifinals against OLLU. This journey to the finals was filled with intense competition and showcased the strength of each team.

TAMUT first defeated LCU 3-0, and OLLU defeated XULA 3-1, and the two teams advanced to the finals.

Match overview
The Saints won the first set 25-23. OLLU tallied 14 kills and six errors on 44 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .182. The Eagles added 13 kills and nine errors on 42 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .095.

In the second game, OLLU won 25-20, and the Saints recorded 10 kills on eight errors in 40 attacks for a .050 hitting percentage. TAMUT came out even with eight kills and eight errors on 39 attacks for a hitting percentage of zero.

In the third period, the Saints had 12 kills on four errors in 33 attacks, for a hitting percentage of .242. The Eagles fared better, with 14 kills and four errors in 37 attacks, for a hitting percentage of .270.

Overall, the Saints recorded 36 kills and 18 errors on 117 attacks, for a .154 hitting percentage. The team also had 34 assists, five aces, and 57 digs.

The Eagles had similar stats: 35 kills, 21 errors on 118 attacks, and a hitting percentage of .119. The team also had 34 assists, two aces, 58 digs, and seven blocks.

Individual leaders
Anais Velasquez’s outstanding performance, leading the Saints with 10 kills on 21 attacks and earning the 2024 RRAC Tournament MVP and All-Tournament Winner titles, is a source of pride for the team and the OLLU community. Her achievement is a testament to the team’s dedication and talent.

Camila Ramirez tallied seven kills and also earned All-Tournament honors.

Lauren Reynard added 16 assists to earn All-Tournament, while Tina Trevino recorded 19 digs and also earned All-Tournament honors.

TAMUT’s Alanna Deering added seven kills and earned All-Tournament honors. Teammate Paulina Dobreva had eight kills and earned All-Tournament recognition.

Zoe Martinez led her team in assists with 17 and 13 digs. Mia Mata added 16 digs for her team.

Other All-Tournament winners were Kamea Uitenham from XULA and Kierra Jones from LCU.

What’s next
The opening round for nations is scheduled for Saturday at various campus sites. The winners of the opening round will advance to the Pool Play competition, which will be held Dec. 4-10 at the Tysons Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

Men’s basketball fends off LCU in 75-71 victory

The men’s basketball team downed Louisiana Christian University (LCU) 75-71 on Saturday. The Saints remain undefeated at 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Wildcats fall to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

Head Coach Marcus Thompson said, “We are happy to get the win! It goes without saying that if we want to achieve some of the team goals we have for this season, we need to be better. We have to continue to have a ‘no excuses’ mentality and chip away at bad habits. We didn’t do our best with that aspect today. Learning while winning is always a beautiful thing. We need to continue to stay together. This will not be a game where we are proud of the film, but if we can turn it into a learning lesson it will serve us well down the road. Texarkana is next, which is another tough challenge. I’m looking forward to getting back to work this week!”

History
The Saints were 2-3 against the Wildcats prior to the game.

Basics
The Saints shot well in the first half at 51.7 percent from the field. The defense limited the Wildcats to 1-of-6 shooting from three-point range. Both teams struggled from the free throw line by shooting under 60 percent. The Saints made two layups with under 30 seconds left in the frame to take a two-point lead into halftime. Kenyon Elliot led the Saints with seven points at the break.

OLLU never trailed in the second half. They outscored the Wildcats by two similar to the first half. Trey Law hit a key layup with 46 seconds remaining to put the Saints up by four. The Wildcats were forced to foul and Law hit a free throw to help the Saints win 75-71. The Saints scored 44 points in the paint and 15 points off turnovers. Three players finished with double-digit points.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Rob Gil led the Saints with 13 points, followed by Law with 12. Breion Powell, Law and Wahkil Lopez had six rebounds each. Kenyon Elliot led the team with three assists.

LCU was led by Joseph Holloway with 13 points. Chukwuemeke Nwaoshai led the squad with 10 rebounds. Jon’Quarius McGhee had three assists for the Wildcats.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 28-of-59 from the field for a percentage of 47.5. LCU shot 28-of-71 for a percentage of 39.4. OLLU added 35 rebounds to LCU’s 42, while the Wildcats committed 13 turnovers, and OLLU had 16.

Up next
The Saints women’s and men’s basketball teams will host Texas A&M University-Texarkana on Thursday. The women’s game begins at 5:30 p.m. and the men tip off at 7:30 p.m. The Spirit Team will be performing at the games.

Volleyball sweeps Southwest to close regular season

The volleyball team ended the regular season on a high note with two sweeps of the University of the Southwest (USW). The Saints are now 21-8 overall and 14-2 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Mustangs drop to 3-18 overall and 3-13 in the RRAC.

History
The Saints were 26-4 against the Mustangs prior to the matches.

Game one recap
Both squads had seven errors in the first set. The Saints had one more kill than the Mustangs in the frame, and would prove to be important as the Saints escaped the first set with a 25-21 win.

The Saints dominated the second set with 16 kills and only four errors. OLLU forced the Mustangs into a negative hitting percentage and five errors.

The third set was the tightest of the three frames. The Mustangs tallied 22 points, but OLLU’s 16 kills were enough to earn the sweep.

Overall, the Saints had 43 kills and 18 errors on 105 total attacks for a .238 hitting percentage. Southwest tallied 21 kills and 18 errors on 96 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .031.

Mia Francis led in kills with 12, and Camila Ramirez added 10. Lauren Reynard finished with 26 assists. Ariana Caldera fled the squad with three service aces.

Assistant Coach Raven Swain said, “We had a slow start that we just can’t have, especially this late in the season. We struggled with serve receive in the beginning and it picked up, but we will continue to find a way to start off matches right from the start and maintain consistency. We played well as a team, and we were able to overcome Southwest with some great serving runs. The diverse offense also led us to a successful win.”

Game two recap
The Saints took the first set 25-14 backed by 13 kills. Ramirez had five kills followed by Anais Velasquez with four. Velasquez also had two block assists.

Both teams committed seven errors in the second set, but the Saints 15 kills was the difference. They won 25-18 and Ramirez continued her impressive match with four kills. Carly Dossett and Reynard both had five assists in the frame.

The Saints also won the third set 25-18. The Saints had their best hitting percentage of the match in the third frame. They totaled 11 kills with only three errors for .242 percent. Francis had six of the 11 kills.

Overall, the Saints had 39 kills and 10 errors on 105 total attacks for a .276 hitting percentage. USW tallied 29 kills and 24 errors on 109 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .046.

Ramirez and Francis led the Saints with 11 kills apiece. Reynard finished with 13 assists, and Arianna Moreno added 11. Francis finished with a .391 hitting percentage.

Swain commented, “We had a better start than on Friday, but still had some moments of losing focus and staying consistent with executing the skills of volleyball. We know as a team where we need to be with postseason right around the corner. We want to make sure we are keeping good habits and it was better in the end. We had great blocks that continued to give us momentum along with great shot selections. The servers kept pressure on Southwest and our setters continued to mix up our offense, which has been another key focus this week. These were two great road wins to finish out conference play, but it’s time to regain focus and prepare for a great week of practice in preparation for the conference tournament.”

What’s next
OLLU will host the RRAC Championship Tournament from Friday and Saturday.