Amid a crowd of talented tennis players from Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I teams, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy junior No. 1 singles player Elvie Sellers earned an All-TCIS first team singles selection.

She and senior Ria Khandpur formed the Lady Saints’ No. 1 doubles team and received an All-Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools second team doubles selection.

“I definitely thought she deserved it,” NSA coach Sheryl Raulston said of Sellers’ singles honor. “She only lost to D1 schools.”

Sellers went 10-4 overall for the regular season, going undefeated against No. 1 singles opponents at the VISAA Division II level, which is the level at which Nansemond-Suffolk belongs and competes for state championships.

“She’s had a great year,” Raulston said of her top player. “She’s playing even better than she was last year.”

This is Sellers’ second straight year as an all-conference first team singles selection.

It is also now back-to-back years that Sellers and Khandpur have made the all-conference second team for doubles players.

“Ria’s really stepped up this year, and her and Elvie had really played well together,” Raulston said. “They ended up beating (Hampton Roads Academy) twice.”

HRA defeated the Lady Saints in the VISAA Division II state championship match last year.

Sellers and Khandpur went 7-7 during the 2015 regular season against No. 1 doubles opponents. Four of those losses came at the hands of VISAA Division I opponents.

The two girls lost to Norfolk Christian School during the regular season but came back and beat them in the TCIS tournament, which came after the voting for all-conference accolades.