OLLU Alumni and Family Relations

We will see you January 6th.

Junior Wahkil Lopez of the OLLU men's basketball team was recognized as the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Defensive Player of the Week for Nov. 18-24. This is the fourth set of weekly awards for the 2024-25 men's basketball season.

Lopez blocked nine shots as the Saints won two more conference matchups last week. The junior forward from Bronx, N.Y., added nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. Lopez compiled five blocks and two steals in a 95-80 win over Texas A&M University-Texarkana on Thursday. He is second in the conference with 2.3 blocks per game. OLLU remains undefeated at 4-0 in league play and 8-0 overall.

Julia Plata of OLLU was named Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Offensive Player of the Week for Nov. 18-24. This is the fourth set of weekly awards for the 2024-25 women's basketball season.

Plata excelled by making 11-of-23 three-pointers last week to lead the Saints to victories over two RRAC opponents. The sophomore guard from San Antonio produced 24 points in a 66-63 victory over Texas A&M University-Texarkana, and she followed up with 23 as OLLU dropped Jarvis Christian University, 100-70. Plata made 16-of-33 shots from the field for the week. She is currently fifth in the conference in scoring with 17.1 points per game. The Saints evened their conference mark at 2-2 and moved to 4-3 overall.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) for the 2025-2026 academic year is now open. Students can complete the online application to apply for financial aid to assist with tuition at OLLU.

The FAFSA is available at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.

The 2025-2026 FAFSA is for attendance from July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026. Financial aid for the upcoming spring semester which begins in January 2025 is covered under the 2024-2025 FAFSA.

Students planning to attend school in summer or fall 2025 are encouraged to complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA early to ensure they are ready for the next academic year.

Students that have any questions please reach out to the OLLU Financial Aid Office at [email protected] or visit the office at Walter Center.

The OLLU 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 Tuesday. 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.

OLLU placed fifth out of 16 schools in the Exercise Is Medicine (EIM) Walking Challenge that was held Oct. 28.

President Abel Chávez hosted a one mile walk as part of the challenge and was joined by students, faculty and staff. The effort paid off as OLLU ranked among much larger schools.

The Kinesiology Program offers special thanks to President Chavez, everyone who helped organize the walk, and the entire OLLU community for their participation and commitment.

This was OLLU’s first time participating in the nation-wide EIM event. Ranking among larger universities is a true testament to the spirit of our smaller but mighty community.

The Kinesiology Program plans to host an even bigger and better event next year.

Let your neighbors know you are an OLLU graduate! Yard signs are available now! Purchase your yard sign here for $20

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The OLLU men's basketball squad surged to a 82-73 win over Texas College (TC) on Tuesday afternoon. The Saints jump 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.

OLLU community members are invited to “Legacy of Light: Guided by Greatness!” Lavender Graduation on Dec. 11. The event will celebrate the achievements of LGBTQIA+ and Ally graduates. Special guest speaker will be Honorable Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez

Dec. 11
6:30-8 p.m.
St. Anne’s Courtyard

Get your graduates ready with their very own OLLU blue bling tassel. You can pick one up campus; shipping not available. They will be available for purchase the day of graduation.

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The second NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll of the season has seen significant movement. Notably, our Lady of the Lake University, 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.

https://www.ollusaintsathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2024-25/releases/20241127hmo0sj