Lady Saints progress in Oakton
Published 9:36 pm Tuesday, September 29, 2015
The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy girls’ volleyball team fell in the championship match of the Flint Hill Invitational Tournament on Saturday, but some historical context reveals how much the Lady Saints actually achieved in Oakton this season.
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy junior outside hitter Livi Bono sends the ball back over the net during the Flint Hill Invitational Tournament on Saturday in Oakton. Bono recorded 52 kills across five matches and was named to the all-tournament team, along with teammate Logan Harrell. (Photo submitted by Robyn Ross)
“Last year, when we went to that tournament, we didn’t make it out of the pool play into the bracket play,” NSA coach Robyn Ross said. “Sometimes everybody gets caught up in how much we graduated last year and doesn’t see exactly what these girls are doing this year.”
The Lady Saints were by far the shorter team in each of their five matches this past weekend. Nevertheless, they went 3-2 in a strong tourney that featured eight teams, all of which played in the 2014 state tournaments at the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I and II levels.
“I think that (my) guys are just playing well,” Ross said. “Granted, it’s coming in youthful spurts, and it’s not always there, but their consistency is getting much better.”
Nansemond-Suffolk opened on Saturday morning with a rematch against Middleburg Academy, the team the Lady Saints beat last year to repeat as VISAA Division II state champions. The Lady Dragons went 1-1 against NSA on Saturday, losing the first meeting 25-22, 18-25, 12-15.
“They were actually undefeated until we beat them that morning,” Ross said.
According to MaxPreps.com, Middleburg had been 12-0, and Ross noted the Lady Dragons’ best hitters from last year are back this season.
Next, Nansemond-Suffolk faced the team it defeated to claim the 2013 VISAA Division II state championship — Fredericksburg Christian School. The Lady Saints won in straight sets this time, 25-13, 25-16.
NSA won the first set against Bishop O’Connell High School, 25-22, but then dropped the next two, 23-25, 11-15.
The Lady Saints found themselves on the winning side of a similar situation in the semifinal against Trinity Episcopal School, advancing to the final with a 24-26, 25-12, 15-12 victory.
The Lady Dragons got another shot at Nansemond-Suffolk in the championship and won 25-23, 25-19.
In their first meeting that day, the Lady Saints “were able to get Middleburg out of (its) system,” Ross said. “That didn’t happen in the last match. We had virtually no offense. We served poorly. It was lots of mental errors for us.”
NSA could see the Lady Dragons (16-1) again in this year’s state tournament.
As for the Flint Hill Invitational, Nansemond-Suffolk junior outside hitter Livi Bono and junior libero Logan Harrell made the all-tournament team.
“Logan had a career-high (total of) digs against Bishop O’Connell with 31 and a pretty legit weekend with 115 digs,” Ross said.
Harrell also had a strong service game, finishing with a team-high 12 aces on the day.
Bono had 52 kills and 33 digs across the five matches, remaining the Lady Saints’ main offensive threat.
“Usually about half of our kills come from Livi,” Ross said.
NSA junior setter Nicole Wright ended up with 108 assists, 28 digs and nine aces on Saturday.
Thursday, Nansemond-Suffolk (14-7) visits Hampton Roads Academy.
