The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy girls’ volleyball team took a 3-2 win over Peninsula Catholic High School at home Tuesday night.

NSA and Peninsula Catholic are two of the premier volleyball programs in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association. Peninsula Catholic has won the last two VISAA Division II state championships. As many expected, it was a hard-fought match.

With the teams tied at 2-2 going into the final set, the Lady Saints won it 15-12 for the win. Addy Greene had 22 kills, 21 digs and three aces. Livian Mathews added 14 kills, 12 digs and three aces. Crystiana McCollum and Tracy Wang combined for 56 assists and 10 kills.

“The girls fought hard against PC, and it was an awesome match to watch,” NSA Coach Robyn Ross said. “We had talked before the match about how it was going to be a really tough match and that we needed to be prepared mentally to go the distance, and that’s exactly what they did. PC outsized us quite a bit, but the girls kept fighting and figured out a way to be successful.”

With the win, the Lady Saints go to 2-0 in conference play. It won’t be a surprise if the two teams meet a couple more times this season as they have in past years. The Lady Saints also gave credit to the fans and NSA community in the stands for the support they gave the team when they needed to rally.

“We also had some awesome support from our fans and a student section that really lifted the girls in that fifth set,” Ross said. “I was really proud of how the girls never gave up and how they went for big plays in that final set. In the past, we have been timid in fifth-set play, but they did not play scared this match, and that was a huge hurdle to get over.”

The Lady Saints believe the win against Peninsula Catholic was a testament to how hard they have been working. They believe that as the season goes on, they will continue to get better and better.

“It was a huge win for us,” Bono said. “We have been working harder than we ever have and we felt like this win validated that for us. We are ready to go all the way this season.”

NSA will go up to Flint Hill School this weekend to compete in a tournament. The Lady Saints are 8-2 on the year.

NSA 3, PC 2

20-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 15-12