Ingram in the spotlight Duke commit conquers the volleyball court

By Jane Clark | Editor in Chief

Senior Lauren Ingram, volleyball captain and club player, dominates the court coming out of the fall season with an award, D1 commitment and goals for her future in volleyball.

Fall Season

Varsity Volleyball came out of SPC as runner-up after a hard-fought season overcoming numerous setbacks along the way. Ingram said illnesses and injuries took out key players for extended periods of time. One game, they had only eight players because the rest of the team was out sick, yet they still had a successful season, growing closer as a team.

“We battled through a lot of uncertainty, but in the end we came out stronger and got closer than ever before,” Ingram said.

Ingram said the players fought hard all the way to the end despite the tough loss in the finals.

“Even though we fell short, it was a great game and we had so much fun together,” she said “I wouldn’t ask for this season with any other group of girls.”

Through the rest of the school year, Ingram said she will pursue her goals to improve her skills and be a good teammate and player on Skyline, her club volleyball team.

All-Region Recipient

At the end of the season, Ingram was selected to an American Volleyball Coaches Association All Region Team. The coaches chose her from 530 seniors in America for the Region 4 team that includes players from Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.

“The team is composed of all the best players in that specific region who had a really great senior season and performed really well,” Ingram said.

Ingram was able to showcase her talent this year on the team enough to impress the coaches.

“Luckily we were able to go to a lot of big tournaments that gave me a lot of exposure so that I could highlight my skills and show the coaches who were watching and selecting those teams that I deserve to be an all-region recipient,” Ingram said. Division 1 Commitment

Ingram tore her ACL during her sophomore year, and overcoming this injury required extensive physical therapy. After she was back to full strength Ingram began considering collegiate opportunities to continue her volleyball career. She officially signed her commitment to Duke University Nov. 1 after communicating with coaches, getting to know the team and visiting the campus.

The first time she was contacted by Duke was June 15, 2021 through an email from a former assistant coach, now at another volleyball program, but since Ingram was injured, the recruiting slowed down.

“After this, I didn’t have any communication with them at all until May 2022 when I got an email from the head coach that basically expressed her interest in me and that she had seen me come back from my injury and knew that I’m a great player and she would love to talk with me,” Ingram said.

A short talk turned into a long conversation because of the great connection they made.

“She just made me feel so comfortable on the call, and I’m usually really nervous when talking to coaches because it is intimidating, but I wasn’t intimidated by her at all – it felt like I was talking to a friend,” Ingram said.

Last summer, the coaches watched Ingram play at nationals and she attended a Duke volleyball camp where she met players and reconnected with coaches. A few days after the camp, she verbally committed to the application process at Duke.

“The players were super nice and welcoming, and I think that ended up being my deciding factor because of the team and how they bonded and their chemistry was really important to me,” Ingram said. “I connected really well with every single person in the program and felt like I had known them for years even though it had only been a couple months.”

Ultimately, Ingram knew it was the place for her with a perfect combination of team camaraderie, athletics at the D1 level and academic prestige.

“I committed to Duke because the opportunity to play at the highest level of volleyball that I could, and receive an education at such a prestigious institution was just an opportunity that I could not pass up,” Ingram said.

Next year, she looks forward to meeting new people and forming bonds with coaches and teammates as well as improving her skills as a player in a new environment.

“Being far from home intimidates but also excites me for the new sense of independence,” Ingram said, “ so I’m excited to see what I can achieve in the Duke program with such a strong group of people supporting me.”