The 2025 season for the Lake Oconee Academy volleyball team was one of the best in program history.
The Lady Titans won a program-record 25 matches with only seven losses this year. They also made a deep playoff run to the Elite Eight for the third time before losing to eventual state champion Oglethorpe County.
LOA head coach Chris Ingle wanted to win the state title, but he was pleased with his team’s success in 2025.
“To say that I am proud of this team is an understatement,” Ingle said. “It was truly a privilege to coach them this year. Like most fall sports, we began working together in May. Most of our team plays club volleyball unless they play spring sports, and the others work out throughout the offseason. We practiced almost every day all summer. Each day, we improved. We focused on our culture all year, and it paid off in the playoffs.”
The hard work the Lady Titans put in during the offseason also paid off in the regular season, as they started with a 16-1 record. They beat bigger schools like Mary Persons, Flowery Branch, Jones County, and Cedar Shoals.
LOA hit a bump in the road in region play, competing against Oglethorpe County, Providence Christian, Athens Academy, Banks County, and Barrow Arts & Sciences. But the team ended region play with a 6-4 record.
The Lady Titans entered the postseason as the No. 13 seed. They blazed their way through the first two rounds at home, knocking off No. 22 Temple and No. 27 Coosa before facing the Lady Patriots in the Elite Eight.
However, LOA’s luck ran out against Oglethorpe County, a team it had already lost to earlier this season in region play. The Lady Titans competed in each set, but the Lady Patriots swept the match, 3-0, to advance.
“We were unified with no cracks in our team for our playoff run,” Ingle said. “We wish we could’ve kept playing after the Oglethorpe loss. We give them the credit they deserve as they played in the championship match.”
Despite the result, Ingle said he saw his team grow closer as the season progressed.
The long-time LOA head coach was encouraged by his players’ effort on the court, especially after a long regular season. He said several younger players stepped up and became leaders, since the team had only two seniors.
Bailey Pattison and Ava Baxendale will graduate, but the Lady Titans return contributors such as Mackenzie King, Ana Martinez-Medrano, Emi Mokan, Emma Dimascio, Shelby Marullo, and many others.
LOA is primed for another playoff run in 2026 with so many players returning, but it will also miss its seniors next season. Pattison and Baxendale helped lay the foundation for the team’s success in the next few years.
“We will always be grateful for what our two seniors have given to the volleyball program,” Ingle said about Pattison and Baxendale. “Their dedication and sacrifice have been amazing. The rest of the varsity eleven will return next year, including six seniors. We are already excited about getting started for next year.”