Tag: volleyball

OLLU’S Ballesteros and Strzelczyk earn conference volleyball player of the week awards

Sadie Ballesteros was selected as the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Volleyball Attacker of the Week for Sept. 13-19. Madelynn Strzelczyk collected the RRAC Setter of the Week honor for the same dates. This is the fourth set of weekly awards for the 2021 RRAC volleyball season.

Ballesteros posted a .388 hitting percentage in a 3-0 week for the Saints. The junior outside hitter from Atascosa, Texas, had totals of 11 kills in a 3-2 win over Texas Lutheran University (TLU) and nine in a sweep of Wiley College. Ballesteros averaged 2.4 kills per set for the week and chipped in eight digs. She is 14th nationally with a .360 hitting percentage. OLLU opened conference play at 2-0 and improved to 7-2 on the season. 

Strzelczyk earned her third award of the season with 105 assists for the Saints. The sophomore setter from Marion, Texas, reached 51 assists against TLU and 34 against Wiley. Strzelczyk averaged 10.5 assists per set for the week. She is currently 15th in the NAIA with 10.4 assists per set.

Volleyball records two conference sweeps over the weekend

The volleyball team took down Paul Quinn College and Wiley College to open Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) play. The Saints swept the Tigers 25-16, 25-7, and 25-14 and defeated the Wildcats 26-24, 25-21 and 25-12. OLLU jumps to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in the conference.

History

The Saints have never lost to Paul Quinn, and they hold the slight edge in the all-time series against Wiley at 12-11.

Paul Quinn basics

OLLU started slowly as Paul Quinn jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first set. Despite a few service errors, OLLU rallied back to eventually tie the set at 12-12. Following the tie, Sadie Ballesteros (JR/Atascosa, Texas) and Camila Ramirez (FR/El Paso, Texas) recorded kills during a five-point streak for the Saints. OLLU took the first set 25-16 behind 13 kills and 32 total attacks.

The Saints hit their stride in the second set and held the Tigers to only seven points. They won eight straight points to close the set with kills from Ramirez and Tijana Kruta (SR/Bar, Montenegro) and multiple errors from Paul Quinn. The Saints dominated the frame with a .480 hitting percentage and only one error.

The third set was controlled by the Saints to methodically close the match. Megan Montalvo (SO/San Antonio, Texas) tallied three consecutive aces in the middle of the set. Paul Quinn struggled with a .000 total hitting percentage compared to the Saints .258. OLLU totaled a season-high 12 service aces, and nine players recorded at least one kill.

Scoring overview against PQC

Set One – OLLU 25 – PQC 16
Set Two – OLLU 25 – PQC 7
Set Three – OLLU 25 – PQC 14

Set review

In the first set, OLLU recorded 13 kills and six errors on 32 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .219.

The Saints had 13 kills in the second set and one error on 25 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .480.

In the third set, OLLU recorded 11 kills and three errors on 31 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .258.

On the offense

Overall, the Saints had 37 kills for a hitting percentage of .307. Paul Quinn totaled 16 kills for a hitting percentage of -.060.

Ramirez led the Saints with 11 kills. Kaliyah Duty totaled a team-high seven kills for the Tigers.

Madelynn Strzelczyk (SO/Marion, Texas)tallied 20 assists, and the Saints had 32 total. The Tigers had 14 assists, with Ariel DeVault leading the way with eight.

Defensive standouts

OLLU had a total of 41 digs, led by Tina Trevino with 12. Kesmyre Smalls tallied 10 digs for Paul Quinn.

Serving it up

Montalvo and Strzelczyk had three service aces each for the Saints. Kaliyah Duty recorded the only service ace for the Tigers.

Wiley basics

The first set included multiple ties and momentum changes. Both teams struggled with service errors, but the Saints were able to right the ship later in the set. The programs traded points from 20-20 to 24-24. Sadie Ballesteros (JR/Atascosa, Texas) put the Saints up by one, and Camila Ramirez (FR/El Paso, Texas) closed the first set in the next point. Madelynn Strzelczyk (SO/Marion, Texas) assisted on both kills.

The Saints had to battle for a second set victory. Early in the frame, the Saints won a long rally that ended with a kill from Ballesteros, and the adrenaline seemed to light a fire under the players. The teams continued to swap points late in the set, and the Saints called a timeout after the Wildcats took a 20-18 lead. Following the timeout, OLLU won six of the next seven points and took a 2-0 lead with a 25-21 second set win. Daisy Cantwell (SO/San Antonio, Texas) tallied two strong kills toward the end of the set, and Strzelczyk assisted on four of the last five plays.

OLLU cruised to a third set win to complete the sweep. They only recorded four errors compared to eight and seven in the first two sets. Ramirez and Jaalin Rosser (SO/Universal City, Texas) were responsible for multiple kills, and the Saints forced the Wildcats into numerous ball-handling errors. The Saints finish the weekend with a sweep in both conference matches after defeating Paul Quinn College yesterday.

Scoring overview against WC

Set One – OLLU 26 – WC 24
Set Two – OLLU 25 – WC 21
Set Three – OLLU 25 – WC 12

Set review

In the first set, OLLU recorded 16 kills and six errors on 29 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .345.

The Saints had 16 kills in the second set and seven errors on 37 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .243.

In the third set, OLLU recorded eight kills and four errors on 28 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .143.

On the offense

Overall, the Saints had 40 kills for a hitting percentage of .245. Wiley totaled 21 kills for a hitting percentage of .081.

Ramirez led the Saints with 15 kills. Ballesteros followed with nine. Marissa Neal totaled a team-high eight kills for the Wildcats.

Strzelczyk recorded 34 assists for the Saints. Olivia Phillip led Wiley with 11 assists.

Defensive standouts

OLLU had a total of 36 digs, led by Tina Trevino (FR/Laredo, Texas) with 14. Merritt Elder tallied 12 digs for Wiley.

Serving it up

The Saints had two service aces. Wiley totaled five service aces with two from Kya Gray.

What’s next

The Saints take a short trip to face local NCAA D3 Trinity University on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at 6 p.m.

Volleyball sweeps conference players of the week awards

Sadie Ballesteros (JR/Atascosa, Texas) earned Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Volleyball Attacker of the Week for Aug. 30-Sept. 5. OLLU’s Madelynn Strzelczyk (SO/Marion, Texas) was tabbed as the RRAC Setter of the Week for the second straight week, and her teammate, Tina Trevino (FR/Laredo, Texas), was recognized as a repeat winner of the RRAC Defender of the Week award for the same dates. This is the second set of weekly awards for the 2021 RRAC volleyball season.

Ballesteros averaged 2.9 kills per set in a 2-1 week for the Saints. The junior outside hitter from Atascosa, Texas, posted a .373 hitting percentage with only four errors in 59 attacks. Ballesteros reached a high of 11 kills in a loss to Wayland Baptist University (WBU), and she was 7-of-14 in a 3-0 sweep of Central Christian College. She has a .348 hitting percentage on the season. OLLU moved to 4-2 overall. 

Strzelczyk posted 10.9 assists per set for the week. The sophomore setter from Marion, Texas, contributed 34 assists in a 3-0 win over Langston and 48 against WBU. Strzelczyk now has 217 assists in six matches for an average of 10.3 per set, which is 16th best in the NAIA. 

Trevino continued the strong start to her college career with 57 digs last week. The freshman defensive specialist from Laredo, Texas, recorded 17 digs against Langston and a new career-high of 31 at WBU. Trevino is 21st nationally with 5.3 digs per set on the season.

Volleyball wins pair of matches in San Antonio ShinDIG Tournament to open season

Hear from Head Coach Scott Mattera and watch highlights: https://www.youtube.com/embed/vLB7wQOPcAQ?enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ollusaintsathletics.com

The volleyball team hosted the San Antonio ShinDIG Tournament to open the 2021 season. Participants included fellow Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) member University of the Southwest (USW) and Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) school Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU). The Saints defeated both teams on Friday and lost to SAGU on Saturday to finish the tournament with a 2-1 mark.

First match vs. SAGU
 

History

The Saints were 9-7 against the Lions prior to the tournament.

Basics

The Lions won the first two sets 25-21. Both teams battled back and forth in the third set. The Saints negated a match point with a kill from Camila Ramirez (FR/El Paso, Texas), and OLLU went on to win the third set 26-24. OLLU closed the fourth set with a two-point margin as well and forced the deciding fifth set.

SAGU jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the final frame. After multiple kills from Sadie Ballesteros (JR/Atascosa, Texas) and Daisy Cantwell (SO/San Antonio, Texas), the Saints evened the scored at nine. The teams traded points until the score was tied 12-12. OLLU completed the heroic comeback with two kills by Ramirez and a kill by Madalyn Gonzalez (SO/San Antonio, Texas) to win 15-12 and start the season 1-0.

Scoring overview against SAGU

Set One – SAGU 25 – OLLU 21
Set Two – SAGU 25 – OLLU 21
Set Three – OLLU 26 – SAGU 24
Set Four – OLLU 25 – SAGU 23
Set Five – OLLU 15 – SAGU 12

Set review

In the first set, OLLU recorded 14 kills and eight errors on 50 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .120.

The Saints had 12 kills in the second set and four errors on 33 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .242.

In the third set, OLLU recorded 12 kills and nine errors on 45 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .111.

The Saints had nine kills in the fourth set and four errors on 40 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .125.

In the fifth set, OLLU recorded 11 kills and three errors on 27 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .296.

On the offense

Overall, the Saints had 58 kills for a hitting percentage of .164. SAGU totaled 57 kills for a hitting percentage of .124.

Cantwell led the Saints with 17 kills. Alexis Mealer totaled a team-high 20 kills for the Lions.

Defensive standouts

OLLU had a total of 83 digs, led by Tina Trevino (FR/Laredo, Texas) with 18. Ava Myers tallied 23 digs for the Lions.

Serving it up

The Saints had seven service aces, led by Trevino with three. SAGU totaled nine service aces, with Riley Burcham tallying a team-high four.

vs. USW

History

The Saints are 19-4 against the Mustangs and won all four matches last season.

Basics

The Saints swept the Mustangs in a non-conference match on Friday. OLLU forced 17 errors from Southwest and led in team kills, total attacks and hitting percentage. Ramirez tallied 11 kills and 35 total attacks.

Scoring overview against USW

Set One – OLLU 25 – USW 19
Set Two – OLLU 25 – USW 19
Set Three – OLLU 25 – USW 18

Set review

In the first set, OLLU recorded 15 kills and four errors on 34 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .268.

The Saints had 11 kills in the second set and four errors on 31 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .226.

In the third set, OLLU recorded 12 kills and five errors on 26 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .269.

On the offense

Overall, the Saints had 38 kills for a hitting percentage of .255. Southwest totaled 29 kills for a hitting percentage of .126.

Ramirez led the Saints with 11 kills. Alexia Esparza totaled nine kills for the Mustangs.

Defensive standouts

The Saints had a total of 43 digs, led by Trevino with 12. Autumn Lopez tallied 12 digs for the Mustangs.

Serving it up

The Saints had seven service aces, led by Trevino and Madelynn Strzelczyk (SO/Marion, Texas) with two apiece. USW totaled four service aces, with four players recording one each.

Second match vs. SAGU

History

Following the win on Friday, the Saints entered Saturday 10-7 all-time against SAGU.

Basics

The Lions got the best of the Saints in the final match of the San Antonio ShinDIG Tournament. The Saints didn’t go down without a fight despite being swept. They lost by three points in the first set, seven in the second and two in the third. All three sets were competitive, and the Saints sit at 2-1 to start the season.

Scoring overview against SAGU

Set One – SAGU 25 – OLLU 22
Set Two – SAGU 25 – OLLU 18
Set Three – SAGU 25 – OLLU 23

Set review

In the first set, OLLU recorded 12 kills and eight errors on 54 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .074.

The Saints had 11 kills in the second set and four errors on 31 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .226.

In the third set, OLLU recorded 12 kills and five errors on 26 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .269.

On the offense

Overall, the Saints had 39 kills for a hitting percentage of .097. SAGU totaled 39 kills as well for a hitting percentage of .195.

Ramirez led the Saints with 15 kills. Myers totaled 11 kills for the Lions.

Defensive standouts

The Saints had a total of 67 digs, led by Trevino with 24. Tessa Glick tallied 23 digs for the Lions.

Serving it up

The Saints had five service aces, led by Ballesteros with two. SAGU totaled three service aces, with three players recording one each.

Up next

The Saints travel a short distance to play NCAA D3 Trinity University on Sept. 1 at 6 p.m.

In the News

On July 7, a story on KXII-TV in Denison about Grayson High School softball star Dominique Rodriguez deciding to play for OLLU:

https://www.kxii.com/2021/07/07/graysons-rodriguez-signs-with-ollu/

On July 6, a story in The Record about OLLU alumna Cheryl January becoming director of the Process Technology/Instrumentation Program at Lamar State College Orange: 

https://www.therecordlive.com/story/2021/07/07/news/geis-retires-as-lsco-technology-director/30407.html

Volleyball crowned RRAC Champions with victory against Southwest

The volleyball team defeated the University of the Southwest (USW) in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Championship match 3-1 to earn a bid for the NAIA National Tournament. The Saints are 11-1 overall and finish the regular season with a 6-0 RRAC mark. OLLU has won 10 straight matches.  

Head Coach Scott Mattera said, “We certainly did have our ‘A’ game today, but credit to Southwest. They had a good game plan and played so hard. They really gave us a scare. In the end, though, we are taking pride in how much our investment in each other carried us through.”

Mattera continued, “It would have been easy to let this one slip away when everything was going their way, but our players were saying all the right things, and we never lost faith in each other. This was a win for all of the efforts we put into our team culture.”

History

The Saints are 18-4 against USW all-time.

Basics

The Saints were tested throughout the entire match. The Mustangs grabbed the third set 25-23 but the Saints held on to win in four sets. OLLU totaled a .316 hitting percentage and 55 kills. The Saints are RRAC regular-season champions, tournament champions and will compete in the NAIA National Tournament. The achievement marks Head Coach Mattera’s first trip to nationals with the team after taking the helm in 2019. Kalani Ketchens (SR/San Antonio, Texas) led the Saints with 15 kills and 37 total attacks.

Scoring overview against USW

Set One – OLLU 25 – USW 17
Set Two – OLLU 25 – USW 20
Set Three – USW 25 – OLLU 23
Set Four – OLLU 25 – USW 20


Set review

In the first set, OLLU recorded 10 kills and two errors on 31 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .258.

The Saints had 20 kills in the second set and three errors on 35 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .486.

In the third set, OLLU had nine kills and three errors on 34 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .176.

The Saints had 16 kills in the fourth set and four errors on 36 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .333.

On the offense

Overall, the Saints had 55 kills for a hitting percentage of .316. USW had 43 kills for a hitting percentage of .151.

Leading the way for the Saints was Ketchens with 15 kills. Tijana Kruta (JR/Bar, Montenegro) followed with 13 kills.

USW’s Glenys Maldonado led the Mustangs with 13 kills.

Serving it up

The Saints tallied 11 service aces while the Mustangs recorded seven.

What’s next

The Saints participate in the NAIA National Tournament starting on April 17.

Volleyball honored with several conference awards

OLLU, the Red River Athletic Conference regular-season champions, hosted a social event Friday evening to announce the 2020 Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) All-Conference Team.

Capturing the Champions of Character award was freshman Megan Montalvo. Named to the All-Conference Honorable Mention Team were Amanda Esparza and Montalvo. The Second-Team honorees included Cassidy Haller, Tijana Kruta and Lauren Woitena.

The All-Conference First-Team selections included Sadie Ballesteros, Kalani Ketchens, Alyssa Marquez and Anissa Tamez – all repeat all-conference winners.

The Saints claimed five of the seven Players of the Year awards. Coach of the Year was Scott Mattera. Freshman of the Year was Haller, Tamez was Setter of the Year and Ketchens was the Front-Row Player of the Year. Four-year senior Tamez received the Player of the Year for the conference.

This season, second-year senior Ketchens tallied 119 kills in 283 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .258. Third-year senior Marquez added 136 digs for 4.12 digs per set. Freshman Haller had 50 kills on 121 attacks, 11 digs and seven total blocks. Four-year senior Tamez has 305 assists for 9.53 assists per game, 90 digs and eight assists.

Mattera is in his second season with the Saints. Last year, his team finished third in the conference and was a tournament finalist. He tallied a 19-7 overall record and 8-4 conference record. This year, his team had a perfect 6-0 conference record, and currently, the team is 11-1 overall.

Volleyball celebrates seniors after defeating Southwest in three sets

The volleyball team downed University of the Southwest (USW) 3-0 on Saturday. The Saints have won nine straight matches and are 10-1 overall and 6-0 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Saints celebrated Amanda Esparza (SR/San Antonio, Texas), Kalani Ketchens (SR/San Antonio, Texas), Alyssa Marquez (JR/Albuquerque, N.M.) and Anissa Tamez (SR/San Antonio, Texas) on Seniors’ Day. The Saints clinched the RRAC regular season title.

History

The Saints are 17-4 against USW all-time.

Basics

The Saints defeated the Mustangs in straight sets for the third time in eight days. OLLU tallied 40 kills and 98 total attacks. They won 25-17, 25-11, 25-13. The Saints tallied 16 kills in the second set and only four errors. OLLU enters the RRAC Tournament next weekend undefeated in conference play.

Scoring overview against USW

Set One – OLLU 25 – USW 17
Set Two – OLLU 25 – USW 11
Set Three – OLLU 25 – USW 13

Set review

In the first set, OLLU recorded 13 kills and five errors on 37 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .216.

The Saints had 16 kills in the second set and four errors on 32 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .375.

In the third set, OLLU had 11 kills and five errors on 29 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .207.

On the offense

Overall, the Saints had 40 kills for a hitting percentage of .265. USW had 20 kills for a hitting percentage of .054.

Leading the way for the Saints was Ketchens with 12 kills. Lauren Woitena (FR/New Braunfels, Texas) followed with six kills.

USW’s Alexia Esparza led the Mustangs with six kills.

Serving it up

The Saints tallied 11 service aces while the Mustangs failed to record one.

What’s next

The Saints participate in the RRAC Tournament as the top seed on March 27 here at OLLU. The semifinals game between Jarvis and Southwest takes place at 12 p.m., and the Saints will play the winner of that game at 3 p.m.

Volleyball takes down University of the Southwest in weekend series

The volleyball team defeated University of the Southwest (USW) 3-0 on Friday and Saturday. The Saints improve to 8-1 overall and are undefeated in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) at 5-0. Southwest falls to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in the RRAC.

Head Coach Scott Mattera commented on the first match, “We really looked like a machine for about 75 percent of the match. We are starting to find a very consistent level of play, but we can’t have the little lapses like we did in the third set. Overall, I was very happy with our effort.”

Mattera also addressed the second match, “USW made some solid adjustments and their ball control was better. Our serve game wasn’t quite as good today and that allowed Southwest to have some more opportunities. Kalani Ketchens (SR/San Antonio, Texas) has grasped and owned our arm swing system and it shows in her ability to hit with easy power.”

History

The Saints are 15-4 against the Mustangs.

First match vs. USW

Basics

The Saints were in control for the entire match against the Mustangs. OLLU had a hitting percentage of .475 and 46 kills. Lauren Woitena (FR/New Braunfels, Texas) recorded 13 kills and Anissa Tamez (SR/San Antonio, Texas) assisted on 28 plays. Southwest struggled with a .123 kill percentage and 13 errors.

Scoring overview against USW

Set One – OLLU 25 – USW 10
Set Two – OLLU 25 – USW 14
Set Three – OLLU 25 – USW 19

Set review

In the first set, OLLU recorded 17 kills and two errors on 26 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .577.

The Saints had 12 kills in the second set and two errors on 23 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .435.

In the third set, OLLU had 17 kills and four errors on 31 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .419.

On the offense

Overall, the Saints had 46 kills for a hitting percentage of .475. Southwest had 22 kills for a hitting percentage of .123.

Leading the way for the Saints was Woitena with 13 kills. Ketchens followed with 11 kills.

USW’s Dylann Bylund led the Mustangs with eight kills.

Serving it up

The Saints tallied eight service aces while the Mustangs recorded one.

Second match vs. USW

Basics

Southwest tested the Saints in the second match. The Mustangs tallied more total attacks and forced the Saints to commit 17 errors. Despite USW’s effort, the Saints won in straight sets again. Ketchens shined once again with 16 kills and a .400 kill percentage. Cassidy Haller (FR/Cibolo, Texas) tallied eight kills and 20 total attacks.

Scoring overview against USW

Set One – OLLU 25 – USW 20
Set Two – OLLU 25 – USW 20
Set Three – OLLU 25 – USW 15

Set review

In the first set, OLLU recorded 17 kills and six errors on 39 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .282.

The Saints had 12 kills in the second set and seven errors on 37 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .135.

In the third set, OLLU had 10 kills and four errors on 24 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .250.

On the offense

Overall, the Saints had 39 kills for a hitting percentage of .220. Southwest had 24 kills for a hitting percentage of .390.

Leading the way for the Saints was Ketchens with 16 kills. Haller followed with eight kills.

USW’s Alexia Esparza led the Mustangs with six kills.

Serving it up

The Saints tallied five service aces while the Mustangs recorded four.

What’s next

The Saints travel to Laredo, Texas, to take on NCAA D2 Texas A&M International University on March 18 at 6 p.m.

Maldonado, Rosser and Strzelczyk earn conference volleyball players of the week

Jaalin Rosser (FR/Killeen, Texas) captured the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Volleyball Attacker of the Week award for Feb. 22-28. OLLU swept all of this week’s honors, with Madelynn Strzelczyk (FR/San Antonio, Texas) earning RRAC Setter of the Week and Ashley Maldonado (JR/Laredo, Texas) tabbed as RRAC Defender of the Week. 

This is the fourth set of conference awards for the 2020 volleyball season, typically completed in the fall but suspended to spring play this year.

Rosser posted a .409 attack percentage as the Saints swept Jarvis Christian College (JCC) in three sets. The freshman outside hitter from Killeen, Texas, powered home 11 kills on 22 attempts with only two errors. She averaged 3.7 kills per set and added six digs to her stat line. OLLU is now 6-1 on the season. 

Strzelczyk generated 28 assists in the JCC match. The freshman setter from San Antonio averaged 9.3 digs per set and chipped in six digs. 

Maldonado kicked in 10 digs and three assists against JCC. The junior right-side hitter from Laredo, Texas, delivered 3.3 digs per set.