During the first official weekend of NCAA play, the University of St. Thomas-Houston Celts showcased brilliance by competing hard in every match. When the scores were tallied, the Celts walked away with four wins, a draw and a first-place finish in cross country.

September 1: Celt Opener - Men’s & Women’s Cross Country

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country hosted a dual meet at Hermann Park with neighboring Division I school Texas Southern to open up the year. On the men’s side, senior James Urbina took first place at the meet, clearing all runners with a time of 15:36. In the women’s race, freshman Alejandra Ramon finished third place to lead all Celt runners at 12:54.

September 1: Women’s Soccer vs. East Texas Baptist

In new Head Coach Nataki Stewart’s first match at the helm, the Celts were tested against the East Texas Baptist Tigers. Neither team could make a shot until the second half when the Tigers scored in the 60th minute. However, the Celts would not be denied when Abigail Davila scored her first in the 71st minute to secure the 1-1 draw. Freshman goalkeeper Kylie Soich had a match-leading 8 saves to keep St. Thomas in contention.

September 1: Men’s Soccer vs. Pamona Pitzer

Fresh off their NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, Men’s Soccer picked up where they left off taking down one of California’s best in Pomona Pitzer 3-0. First Team All-American Taty Aleman scored two goals while newcomer Tony Castro from Queens, New York delivered the finisher to secure the victory. The Celts’ goalkeeper duo of Cristo Gayoso and Gustavo Otero proved to be formidable with six saves to keep the clean sheet.

September 1: Volleyball vs. LeTourneau #1

The marquee match of the day was Celt Volleyball taking on LeTourneau at the JAAC. After a highly contested opening set, the Celts found a way and won 3-1. Senior Laynee Beam had an amazing 17 points, coming from both kills and blocks. Junior Kara Spice was a force in the back row with 41 total digs in the match.

September 2: Volleyball vs. LeTourneau #2

In a rematch of the opening night game, the Celts won again with the same score of 3-1. However, it was Celt sophomores who stole the show. Audrey Cataline continued her impressive opening weekend with 16 kills, and Karrington Kays was not far behind with 12. Kays also had 5 total blocks. Mia Medina fed the hitters with 20 assists and 2 service aces in the match.

September 3: Men’s Soccer vs. Willamette

In a highly rated match against Willamette, the St. Thomas Men’s Soccer team continued their strong display winning 3-1. Taty Aleman continued his stellar start to the year notching his third goal of the season, while Daniel Castro and Dany Ramirez each picked up their first. Cristo Gayoso stood tall in the cage and made a crucial penalty kick save with just 12 minutes remaining.

Official competition is underway! Catch our fall sports teams in action by coming to a match! Follow ustcelts.com for all schedules and updates.