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Women's Basketball Full of Enthusiasm for 16th Season
Posted: Oct 22, 2024

Women's Basketball Full of Enthusiasm for 16th Season

SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 22, 2024) – The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) women's basketball program is buzzing with excitement as it heads into its 16th season on Oct. 29. Third-year Head Coach Tanya Ray is filled with optimism about the team's prospects, especially with the addition of seven newcomers and the return of five players. 

2034-2024 season overview

Reflecting on the previous season, the Saints achieved a 10-18 overall record and a 9-13 standing in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). Their performance earned them a spot in the RRAC postseason for the 14th time, where they faced a tough challenge from the No. 3 seed, LSU-Alexandria (LSUA) Generals, in the quarterfinals.

Nonconference schedule

The team opens the season by hosting Southern University at New Orleans on Oct. 29. They then head to Plainview, Texas, to compete in the Queens Classic from Nov. 6-7. The Saints will face Wayland Baptist University on Nov. 6 and Oklahoma Panhandle State University on Nov. 7. They will then play exhibitions at NCAA D1 schools, including Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi on Nov. 30 and the University of the Incarnate Word on Dec. 29.

Conference lineup

Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) joins the RRAC for the upcoming 2024-2025 season. The inaugural team is led by 7-year head coach Christopher Minner (2012-2019), most recently head coach at Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT).

LSU-Shreveport (LSUS) was picked to win the conference again in the RRAC Women's Preseason Poll released Oct. 22. The Pilots are followed by Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA), LSU-Alexandria (LSUA), TAMUT, Huston-Tillotson University (HTU), North American University (NAU) (not eligible for the postseason) and OLLU in seventh place. Next are the University of the Southwest (USW), Louisiana Christian University (LCU), A&M-SA, Jarvis Christian University (JCU), Texas College (TC) and Paul Quinn College (PQC).

Finishes in 2023-2024 for RRAC opponents are listed below:

  1. LSUS – 30-3/22-0
  2. LSUA - 23-6/19-3
  3. XULA -5-7/19-3
  4. NAU - 14-15/11-11
  5. TAMUT - 13-16/10-12
  6. USW - 14-16/9-13
  7. HTU - 11-14/9-13
  8. OLLU - 10-18/9-13
  9. JCU - 12-15/8-14
  10. LCU - 11-16/8-14
  11. TC - 7-21/5-17
  12. PQC - 4-23/3-19

Conference schedule

The women open their conference schedule on Nov. 14 at XULA in New Orleans, La., followed by on Nov. 16 at LCU in Pineville, La. They'll play their first home conference game on Nov. 21 against TAMUT and Nov. 23 against JCU. The Saints will go on the road for games against Texas College in Tyler on Nov. 26 and against Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi on Nov. 30. December games include at NAU in Houston and HTU in Austin. They'll host A&M-SA on Dec. 12, LSUS on Dec. 19 and LSUA on Dec. 21. January games include at USW in Hobbs, N.M., on Jan. 2, at PQC on Jan. 4. The second half of the conference games begin on Jan. 9 at home vs. LCU and Jan. 11 vs. XULA. They'll travel to JCU in Hawkins, Texas, on Jan. 16 and TAMUT in Texarkana, Texas, on Jan. 18. The Saints will host TC on Jan. 25, NAU on Jan. 28 and HTU on Feb. 1. The women will play at A&M-SA on Feb. 8, at LSUA in Alexandria, La., on Feb. 13 and LSUS in Shreveport on Feb. 15. The Saints will host PQC on Feb. 20 and USW to close out the regular season on Feb. 22.

The RRAC tournament will take place Feb. 27-March 1 in Alexandria, La., hosted by LSUA. The NAIA Opening Round will be held March 14-15 at campus sites. The final rounds will be held March 20-25 at Sioux City, Iowa. 

Top returners and transfers

The squad returns juniors and sophomores this year. They include sophomores Carlea Owens, who played in 25 games last season and scored 76 points and added 60 rebounds; Kiana Valdez, who played in 19 games and scored 40 points, Evangeline Hernandez, who played in 21 games and scored 43 points, Amya Miller-Singleton, who played in 16 games and scored 26 points; and junior returner Jillian Torres, who played in 16 games and scored 25 points. Top returner Julia Plata, who is a sophomore, played in 28 games and scored 212 points. She added 45 rebounds, 49 assists and 29 steals.

Junior transfers include Zariah Todd from San Antonio Antonian High School and NAIA Texas Wesleyan University; Alexandra Westerdijk Martin from Granada, Spain and a transfer from Northeastern Junior College; Desiree Rogers from Sugar Land, Texas Lamar Consolidated High School and transfer from NJCAA Blinn College; Isabella Jaramillo, who is from Las Vegas, Nev., and transfer from NJCAA South Plains College; and Kennedy Villalpando from Weslaco, Texas, and Weslaco High School. Villalpando has been part of the Saints cross-country and track and field teams since 2022 and joins the basketball team this year. In high school, she excelled in all three sports, winning MVP for cross-country and Defensive Player of the Year in basketball.

Sophomore newcomer Samantha Fields is from Nacogdoches, Texas, and Rick Reedy High School, transferring from NJCAA Grayson College. Freshman Anissa Cardona is from Eagle Pass, Texas, C.C. Winn High School.

Fan engagement

The team, in collaboration with the men's basketball team, is excited to host a series of special events throughout the season, starting with their first home game on Oct. 29. The games will be themed as Halloween/Blackout – offering free entry to anyone in costume or wearing a black shirt. There will be a costume contest for children, students, and staff/faculty, with exciting prizes for the best costumes awarded during the men's halftime. The games will be filled with other engaging activities, making it an event that fans wouldn't want to miss. This is just the beginning of a series of exciting events sponsored by the men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the OLLU Student Government Association.

The Saints' home games will be live-streamed on the OLLU Saints Network, providing fans with the opportunity to support the team from anywhere. This initiative aims to bring the excitement of the game to Saints fans with a video scoreboard featuring player introductions, goal-scoring celebrations and more. OLLU wants its fans to feel engaged and connected to the team, no matter where they are.

Admission for home games is $10 and is free to faculty, staff, and students with ID. 

Hear from Head Coach Tanya Ray as she discusses the 2024-2025 season