Abby Herrod was voted Duke Automotive player of the week after leading her team to a 2-0 week, scoring six goals and assisting on six others.

Herrod, a junior soccer player at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, is currently playing so well that her opponents even tell her how she good she is. She razzle and dazzles on soccer field, constantly giving her team the best chance to win.

“During the game and after the game, people have come up to me and have told me how good I was,” the junior said. “It’s very humbling, because I don’t think people are even playing that close attention to me. It is very rewarding.”

The Lady Saints have a 4-1 record, and that is in large part a result of Herrod’s play. Herrod has scored hat tricks in each of NSA’s four wins. She’s also added a similar number of assists in those games, as well.

When Herrod is on the field, she doesn’t even think about the stats. She just wants to do what she can to help her team. NSA had a pretty successful season last year, but Herrod wants herself and her team to be even better.

“When I’m out there, I’m really just focused on how I can help the team get better,” she said.

Herrod returned this year after being the leading scorer on the team as a sophomore last year. She averaged a goal a game.

But even she has been surprised at how well she has started this season.. She’s never been on a scoring run like this before, so all of this is new.

After the Lady Saints lost their first game of the season by a score of 5-0, Herrod knew the team needed a spark. She took it upon herself to make it happen.

“It seems as though the spark has carried on for a while,” Herrod said. “I knew we needed that so we could create a successful season. The scoring is great, but I also love to assist others, especially those who aren’t normally put in scoring opportunities.”

Herrod is motivated by the opportunity to just play the game she loves. She goes out on the field with a clear mindset every game, trying to make the team be the best it can be. At all times, she wants her teammates to work together so they can all be successful together.

She watches a lot of women’s soccer and is inspired by it. In particular, she watches Ali Krieger and Christen Press, who are her favorite players.

After last season, Herrod wanted to find ways to improve her game. One way she decided to do that was through her leadership.

Being a captain this year has given her an opportunity to showcase that talent. She wants to motivate the team in ways that make everyone excited to come to practice and games. It is important to her to use her leadership in a way that creates an environment where teamwork is successful.

One big goal for her is to help her team to move up in the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools rankings. So far she has made good on working towards that goal.

Catch Herrod and the Lady Saints in action at home against Norfolk Collegiate at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.