Successful Lady Saints outlast Spartans
Published 8:51 pm Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy senior Holly Kozak, No. 14, gains possession of the ball as senior Olivia Elliott, No. 1, and defenders from visiting The Steward School look on. Kozak scored five goals in the Lady Saints’ 13-12 victory on Monday.
The seniors of Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s girls’ lacrosse team made their Senior Day count by leading the Lady Saints to a 13-12 victory against visiting The Steward School on Monday.
“Our girls play really physical and they play tough and they play with a lot of heart, and this being Senior Day, I think that going down at halftime was not sitting well with any of our seniors and the eighth-graders really backed them up,” new NSA coach Olivia White said.
The Lady Saints trailed 6-4 at halftime but came roaring back. Senior Holly Kozak finished with five goals to lead Nansemond-Suffolk, while seniors Jessie Lerner and Sarah Higinbotham each scored four.
NSA is enjoying its best season in years, currently holding a 7-4 overall record, 1-0 in the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools.
Taking over as head coach for Mary Flowers, who moved away, is White, who played in goal for the Lady Saints when she was in high school. She began her coaching career in 2014.
“I assisted with Mary last year, but my mom, Susan (White), who is assisting with me this year, actually was the head coach of the varsity program here at NSA for seven years, and so coaching was, I guess, kind of in my genetics,” she said.
She came back to help the seniors have a good year. “I think we have a good chance of winning out in the conference,” she said.
She later noted some tough, really physical opponents are coming up on the schedule, but her “girls have grown and progressed a lot this year,” with the older girls also having benefited from good coaching the past few years.
The make-up of the 2015 Lady Saints in terms of classification is one of extremes. Aside from junior Julia Hayden, the team features six seniors and eight eighth-graders.
All of the seniors are team captains, “and each and every one of them leads in their own way,” White said.
“Jessie and Holly and Sarah have really stepped up on the scoring side,” the coach continued.
Lerner currently leads the team with 50 goals, Kozak has 31 and Higinbotham, who has committed to play for Longwood University, has 24.
“Lizzy Fowler, in the goal, has made a huge difference,” White said. “She’s just really taken on that position with all of her heart and has become a very smart player back there.”
Fowler had nine saves on Monday, and she has 94 for the season.
Grace Haddad, who is going to play for Randolph-Macon College next year, is “a great, strong defender, and she really leads the defense,” White said.
And Olivia Elliott leads the Lady Saints’ low attack.
“I’m really fortunate to have all these senior leaders,” White said.
The coach also had high praise for both Julia Hayden, as a present factor and an up-and-coming leader, and eighth-grader Anne Thomas Brinkley, as a smart, standout defender and offensive kick-starter.
Nansemond-Suffolk hosts Bishop Sullivan on Thursday.