The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy golf team boasted a strong season for 2013, but its bid to repeat as state champion fell short. The team finished third, losing by five strokes to Greenbrier Christian Academy and Atlantic Shores Christian School in Monday’s Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II state championship at Lake Chesdin Golf Club in Chesterfield.

NSA scored a 239, and while Greenbrier and Atlantic Shores produced tying scores of 234, the Gators won by having the lowest fourth score.

Katie Murphy, Nansemond-Suffolk’s head coach, contrasted the whole season against Monday.

“I felt like we played very well all season, and we had one off-day all season, and it just happened to fall on the state championship,” she said. “There’s no doubt, Greenbrier played very well. They’ve been very consistent all year, certainly worthy of such an honor.”

Sophomore Keith Cooper was the low score for the Saints, shooting a 77 and becoming the lone member of the team to make the VISAA All-State team.

Other members of the team had a difficult day, but Murphy addressed their match on Monday in concert with the rest of the season.

“My No.-3 player, Stuart (Brazil), he struggled a little bit, Trey (Wren) struggled a little bit, (but) after a really long season, a lot of golf being played, I’m very proud of them,” she said. “I can’t say that it was our best performance, but overall it was a wonderful season.”

Nansemond-Suffolk entered this season with the pressure that accompanies a team that won the state championship last year and returned all of its starters. The Saints went 13-2 during the 2013 regular season, placing second in the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools.

“Going into next year, I’ll lose my senior captain, Stuart Brazil, but I’ll return five of my starters from (this) year,” Murphy said.

That gives her reason to be encouraged about NSA’s future.

“I still feel like we’re going to be competitive for the next two or three years,” she said.