Tag: Alumni

Saints welcome volleyball alumni

OLLU welcomed alumni members of the volleyball team to campus on Saturday, March 26. The women first played a friendly match against current Saints players and then enjoyed a luncheon outside of the University Wellness and Activities Center (UWAC).

The Saints defeated the alumni 2-1 with set scores of 22-25, 25-20 and 25-20. Prior to the game, Director of Alumni and Family Relations Debora Guzman Perez and Head Coach Scott Mattera honored three alumni – Alexia Bustamante, Gloriana Villarreal and Alysha Blanco.

Previous recipients of the volleyball alumni awards are as follows:

2015: Sarah Lindsey (2007-2010) and Kelsey Johnson (2007-2010)
2016: Liza Rodriguez (2008-2011) and Elyse Escobar (2008-2011)
2017: Norma Fraga (2009-2012) and Desirea Aguilar (2009-2012)
2019: Suzette Pena (2011-2014), Bryttany Willoughby (2011-2014) and Kendall Groff (2013-2017)

ALEXIA BUSTAMANTE – Alumni Saints Service AwardWhile at OLLU from 2014-2016, Bustamante received the 2015 All-Conference Second Team, 2016 All-Conference Honorable Mention, 2016 Champions of Character and 2016-2017 Conference Scholar-Athlete awards. She graduated from OLLU in 2017. Bustamante is now a teacher’s assistant at The Winston School of San Antonio. Bustamante received the Alumni Saints Service Award for her work in the community, especially with the Club Volleyball program in San Antonio, including the San Antonio Juniors Volleyball Club, where she coaches the 13 Adidas and the 16 National teams.
GLORIANA VILLARREAL – PROVIDENCE ALUMNI AWARDDr. Gloriana Villarreal, who was on the team from 2012-2015, received the Providence Alumni Award. At OLLU, she earned the 2013 All-Conference First Team, 2015 All-Conference First Team, NAIA Scholar-Athlete in 2014 and 2015 and Conference Scholar-Athlete in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 awards. Villarreal received her degree in 2016, and after pharmacy school at UIW, she is now a Doctor of Pharmacy in her hometown of Brownsville, Texas.

ALYSHA BLANCO – PROVIDENCE ALUMNI AWARD

Alysha Blanco also received the Providence Alumni Award. Unfortunately, Blanco was not able to make the event. Blanco played on the Saints team from 2012-2015. She was the first volleyball player at OLLU to earn NAIA All-American honors. She also was named to the AVCA All-South-Central Region Team in 2014 and 2015. In 2013, she was named to the All-Conference Second Team, and in 2014 and 2015, the All-Conference First Team. In 2014 and 2015, she was named to the All-Tournament Team. In 2015, she was named Conference Player of the Year, and in 2016, she was named a Conference Scholar-Athlete. Blanco graduated from OLLU in 2016.

The following members of the volleyball team from 2007 through 2021 are listed below:

AlumnaFall Academic Year-Spring Academic Year
Alexia Bustamante2014-2016
Mariza Cardenas2015-2019
Amanda Esparza2018-2021
Natalie Fazio2017-2020
Bailei Hubbard2017-2019
Kalani Ketchens2019-2021
Madison Madrid2007-2008
Alyssa Marquez2018-2021
Norrelle Mitchell2016-2018
Suzette Pena2011-2014
Jessica Ramirez2007-2008
Anyssa Rivera2016-2020
Janelle Solis2013-2016
Raven Swain2013-2017
Anissa Tamez2017-2021
Gloriana Villarreal2012-2015

Men’s basketball holds third annual alumni game

The men’s basketball team hosted its third annual alumni game on Saturday. The current Saints team won 115-104 in a thrilling matchup.

The alumni team consisted of Mike Brown (2011-2013), Brandell Collins (2015-2018), Jared Embry (2019), De’Quentin Greer (2013-2015), Jeremy Hines (2013-2015), Brandon Joseph (2017-2019), Justin Monk (class of 2009-2011), Eddie Ortiz (2009-2013), Ryan Otis (2017-2019), new Saints Assistant Coach Marcus Thompson (2010-2014) and Aleksander Tomic (2009-2011). Monk, Ortiz and Tomic were part of the inaugural team.

Oscar Maldonado (JR/Greeley, Colo.) opened the scoring with a three-pointer for the Saints. After a few points scored by the alumni team, Maldonado hit another three to give the Saints a slight 6-4 advantage. Thompson blocked a layup attempt a few plays later, but the Saints went on a run and led 28-16 with 10 minutes left in the first half. OLLU continued to score at will against the alumni team and led 59-36 at halftime.

The alumni team came to life in the second half. They drew multiple fouls early in the frame and Greer ended up scoring 17 points in the second half. The Saints led 90-64 with 10 minutes remaining in the game. The alumni team scored 40 of the next 65 points to close out the game and only lose by 11.

Mike Brown led the alumni team with 29 points. Junior transfer Maldonado scored a team-high 15 points for the Saints.

Baseball hosts inaugural alumni game

The baseball team hosted its first alumni game on Saturday. The inaugural team played in 2015 and featured 26 players. Since its berth, the baseball program has boasted a .622 winning percentage in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) and recently competed in the NAIA World Series during the 2021 season for the first time.

The alumni team attending the festivities included Russell Brown (2017-2018), Ryan Chapa (2017-2021), Anthony DeJesus (2015-2016/Inaugural Team), Jose Diaz (2016-2021), Jordan Hackett (2015-2018/Inaugural Team), Connor Kalisky (2016-2017/Inaugural Team), Mike Light (2017-2018), Robert Lopez (2017-2021), David Marte (2015-2016/Inaugural Team), JB Martinez (2016-2018), Matt Mihalov (2016-2021), Caleb Mireles (2017-2018), Andrew Ogletree (2017-2021), Chuy Ramirez (2016-2017), Ryan Ramsey (2016-20199), Enrique Ruiz (2015-2018/Inaugural Team) and Xavier Solis (2016-2021).

The current Saints team jumped out to an early lead in the first two innings. Noah Rodriguez (SR/Victoria, Texas) scored on an error in the first inning and Christian Martinez (SO/Corpus Christi, Texas) drove in Francisco Martinez (JR/San Antonio, Texas) to start the second inning. Martinez would later score on a passed ball and Jacob Mitchell (NA/Harker Heights, Texas) smacked a two-run home run to give OLLU a 5-0 advantage.

After the Saints tacked on six more runs, Jose Diaz recorded the alumni’s first hit in the top of the fifth inning. Francisco Martinez roped an RBI triple in the bottom of the inning to increase the Saints’ lead to 12-0. Mike Light put the alumni on the board with an RBI double that scored Andrew Ogletree in the top of the sixth inning. Xavier Solis and Robert Lopez tallied RBIs later in the inning and the alumni trailed 12-3.

Joshua Colunga, John B. Ortega II (SO/Harlingen, Texas) and Jarod Smith (SO/Baytown, Texas) recorded RBI singles in the bottom of the sixth inning to up the Saints lead to 15-3. Light drove in another run in the bottom inning for the alumni team and a wild pitch scored Matt Mihalov. The current Saints team won 15-5 in seven innings.