After a successful Oct. 2 tournament weekend at home, Lake Oconee Academy volleyball officially closes the book on a dynamic 2026 regular season and heads into the postseason with high hopes.
The Lady Titans, currently 32-5 overall, finished the regular schedule with an undefeated region record and will begin their playoff run on Oct. 17.
The Lady Titans hosted Richmond County (RCTCM), Johnson High School (Augusta), and Aquinas High School on Saturday afternoon in the 2A Region 4 volleyball tournament, winning 2-0 against each opponent.
“I was really proud of the way our girls competed. Tournament volleyball is different because there’s pressure attached to every match, and I thought our team handled that well,” said Chris Ingle, head coach of the Lady Titans. “We played with a lot of energy, stayed together when things got difficult, and competed for one another. At this point in the season, you want to see your team playing its best volleyball, and I think we took another step in that direction.”
Ingle described the recent region tournament as a “team effort,” with several players stepping up at different points in the afternoon. He noted that such contributions are essential for a successful postseason run, as they will face tough competition. “We’re excited, and this is the part of the season you work for.
Our program has been fortunate to make some deep state playoff runs over the years, so our girls understand that getting to the postseason isn’t the goal,” Ingle said. “We want to do something with the opportunity, but at the same time, we can’t get caught looking three matches down the road.”
With a week until their postseason begins, Ingle emphasized that the team’s focus must stay on their opponents “on the other side of the net that day,” especially as the season is “on the line” during playoffs. In the regular season, he believes his players improved in several ways, especially in consistency and handling adversity.
“Early in the year, we could play really well for stretches, but we weren’t always able to sustain it,” Ingle said. “We’ve gotten much better at staying composed after a bad point or a bad stretch. “Our serve receive and communication have also improved tremendously.”
Ingle said the Lady Titans’ seven seniors have made crucial impacts on the court and “taken ownership of the team” throughout the season. He noted setter Emma DiMascio was a standout during the team’s recent tournament and described her “leadership and competitiveness” as a crucial impact on the team overall.
“They’ve all been through big matches and postseason pressure before, and that experience matters right now,” Ingle said. “DiMascio has been such a consistent player for us all season, and she affects the match in so many different ways. She can score, serve, defend, and pass, is our lead captain and a three-year captain, which is pretty special.”
Overall, Ingle believes the keys to a successful postseason run are “staying together” and “playing one point at a time. He said if his players remain confident and “play for the person beside them,” they have a good chance of making it far.
“In the postseason, you’re going to face adversity. You’re going to lose rallies, you’re going to make mistakes, and there are going to be momentum swings,” Ingle said. “We don’t know how long the journey will last, but we’re going to make sure we appreciate it and compete as hard as we can for as long as we have it.”