NSA girls’ lax makes return

Published 9:56 pm Thursday, March 22, 2018

After a few seasons without a varsity team, girls’ lacrosse is back at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy.

The season has already gotten under way for the Lady Saints. Coached by Olivia Howell, the Lady Saints are excited for what’s to come this season.

The team is young this year, with half of its players in the eighth grade. The other half of the players are in high school.

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“We are young, but we have a lot of talent,” Howell said.

In the last couple of years that there was no varsity team, there were still JJV and JV teams. Howell has seen a nice transition for players being in the mix for varsity competition. The upperclassmen have been able to help the younger players, because they were playing varsity at the same age as well.

The Lady Saints have played two games so far, and though both have been losses, Howell likes how her team improved from the first game to the second.

“They came out with a bit more confidence in the second game and showed more effort and showed what they were capable of doing,” Howell said. “They have shown they were able to make adjustments and adapt to some of the teams that we will be playing.”

NSA has a varied schedule this year. The team will play some teams that will show they have been playing together for a while, and there will also be teams with which NSA will be very competitive.

“The biggest thing for me is I want them to believe in themselves,” Howell said. “I want them to believe in themselves as a team and know they can be competitive at this level. The team is young, but I want them to gain confidence playing at this level. We have a lot of talent on that field. We just have to put the pieces together.”

NSA will face Trinity Episcopal at home at 4 p.m. Tuesday.