Lake Oconee Academy’s girls tennis team concluded its 2026 season on May 13 after competing in the GHSA Class Division II championship.
The Lady Titans fell 3-1 to Telfair County and finished as state runner-up.
Nearly a month after the season ended, head coach Ron Kalpak reflected on an accomplished year and the team’s run to the title match. He pointed to a key postseason victory that prevented Telfair County from completing an undefeated playoff run.
“I am super proud of them for making it that far, and even though we lost, there were a lot of positives that came out of it for sure,” Kalpak said. “Telfair had a 19-0 overall record, and out of 20 [individual] matches they played in the playoffs, they went 19-1. The only one they lost was to Jamie Beatty, our number-three singles player.”
Kalpak said the biggest growth for his group came in its mental development throughout the season.
He also noted the entire lineup is set to return for the 2027 season, giving him confidence for making another deep postseason run. Lake Oconee Academy previously won a state title in 2024, something Kalpak believes will continue to motivate his roster.
“If they get down, they know how to snap back pretty quickly; they know how to work through adversity,” Kalpak said. “There are going to be a couple of them that are going to want to get another ring, and they know what it’s like.”
This year’s Coaches Award went to rising junior Emi Mokan, whom Kalpak praised for her resilience in the championship match.
“During part of the championship, she wasn’t feeling well, and looked up through the fence when we were talking to her and said, ‘I am not giving up.’ Literally crying at the same time while she was saying it,” Kalpak said. “It was just an unbelievable example of [pushing through].”
Several Lady Titans earned postseason recognition, including Elizabeth Moore, who was named Region Player of the Year. Moore also earned a spot on the Class A Division II All-State first team alongside Beatty, while Mokan was named to the second team.
Looking ahead, Kalpak said improvement will depend on players being able to “self-diagnose” issues during matches and adjust more quickly without constant coaching input.
“I’m not able to coach every single point, and so [it is important that] they’re able to self-diagnose what they’re doing wrong and how they can improve right then,” Kalpak said. “I think the girls have all improved [this season] with understanding how to snap back pretty quickly and to not go into a downward spiral.”
Overall, Kalpak said he hopes the group continues to grow closer as a unit heading into next season, especially with a strong senior class returning.
“Nobody’s happy to lose, and it’s hard to start talking about the positives of the loss right after it, but the girls are handling it really well; they’re excited about next year,” Kalpak said. “We made it this far and, unless somebody else recruits somebody really good, we’ve got a very, very good chance.”