SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 12, 2024) – The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) volleyball team achieved two significant milestones this weekend, adding to their impressive 2024 season. Head Coach Scott Mattera recorded his 200th career win after Friday's match, and Camila Ramirez became the Saints' all-time leader in kills. The Saints swept Louisiana Christian University (LCU) in straight sets on Friday and this afternoon. They now stand at 14-7 overall and 7-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference, while LCU drops to 10-12 overall and 4-4 in conference.

History

The Saints have been 9-0 against the Wildcats since 2021, allowing only two set wins in those nine matches.

Matchday on Friday

The Saints showcased their dominance at the start of the match, going up 8-1 before the LCU coach called a timeout. The Wildcats could only muster eight points, while the Saints led by nine. Camila Ramirez served three points, with kills from Anais Velasquez and Mia Francis, as the Saints went up 24-13. A kill from Makaelyn Perez ended the first set, with the Saints winning 25-14.

Lauren Reynard served six straight points to put the Saints at 7-1. Attack errors plagued the Saints, and the Wildcats took advantage by closing the score gap by two at 7-9. The Saints jumped back in to go up 15-9. LCU again tried to close the gap by coming as close as one point, but their efforts proved futile as the Saints closed out the set with a 25-21 win.

The Wildcats took their first lead of the match in the third set, going up 4-2. The Saints tied the set at four and never looked back. They reached 20 points, while the Wildcats were still stuck at nine. Kills from Francis and Velasquez completed the Saints' sweep, with the 25-12 win.

Significant stats

The Saints recorded 51 kills for a .351 hitting percentage while limiting the Wildcats to just 23 kills for a .063 hitting percentage.

Camila Ramirez and Mia Francis both turned in 14 kills. Lauren Reynard finished with 22 assists, while Arianna Morena had 14. Chanisty Villarreal Bermea recorded four service aces, and Tina Trevino marked 25 digs.

With the win on Friday, Head Coach Scott Mattera achieved a significant milestone in his career, recording his 200th career victory. This includes 103 wins at OLLU and 97 wins at Concordia University-Nebraska as a head coach. Coach Mattera's achievement also marks him as OLLU volleyball's winningest coach, surpassing the record of inaugural Head Coach Mark Lee, who had 102 wins during his eight years at OLLU.

LCU's Kate Campbell was the only Wildcat to have double-digit kills with 10.

Matchday on Saturday

Despite the Wildcats' early momentum, the Saints quickly regrouped and took the lead, demonstrating their resilience. They sealed the set with a series of powerful kills from Francis, Velasquez, and Perez, winning 25-19.

The Saints returned to the court for the second set with the same mentality, and nothing the Wildcats tried worked. OLLU trounced LCU to lead 14-3. The Wildcats scored just 12 more points, and the Saints closed out the game with a 25-15 win.

The third set was a testament to the Saints' unity and teamwork. Despite a close start, the team continued to secure key points. Kills from Urbanczyk, Bir, and Velasquez sealed the 25-17 win and a 3-0 match.

Significant stats

OLLU turned in 40 kills for a hitting percentage of .214. LCU finished with 23 kills for a hitting percentage of .022.

Camila Ramirez led the Saints with 11 kills. She came into the season with 839 kills and, so far, has accumulated 228 kills. She now has 1,067 and has joined the Saints 1,000 Club. Ramirez broke Kendall Groff's record from 2013-2016 of 1,061 kills to become OLLU's all-time leader.

Reynard marked 19 assists, and Moreno had 13. Tina Trevino finished with 23 digs.

Hear from Assistant Coach Raven Swain and watch highlights

What's next

The Saints will now prepare for their next challenge, a crucial RRAC match against Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. The teams will then return to San Antonio for their second match on Oct. 19 at noon, where the Saints will look to continue their winning streak.