Alivia Giles was voted Suffolk News-Herald Player of the Week after going for 20 points and 13 rebounds in a win for Nansemond-Suffolk Academy.

Giles is in the midst of a strong senior season. She has helped the team start off 3-1 while leading the way for the Lady Saints girls’ basketball team. Throughout her first four games, Giles has put together multiple double-doubles with points and rebounds. She’s satisfied with her play and the start her team has gotten off to but knows there is room for improvement.

“I feel like we are off to a great start,” Giles said. “As a team, we have set some high expectations for ourselves. I am satisfied with my play, but there is always room for improvement, especially since this is my last season playing high school basketball. I’m trying my best to put it all out on the floor.”

The NSA senior came off a junior season where she was All-Conference and All-State. The Lady Saints surprised many when they started a lineup that featured four freshmen aside from Giles and were able to advance all the way to the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II state semifinal game, coming seconds away from reaching the state title game. Giles knows many will expect NSA to take another leap, and that’s what has motivated her coming into this season.

“I’m just motivated to give my last year the best run yet and just continue to improve my game,” she said. “It really hit me this past summer playing my last year of AAU, and I started thinking about playing through my last high school season ever. I was telling myself I couldn’t leave this season without a ring on my finger.”

Giles has come close to state titles the past two season, as she is a multi-sport standout, also starring on the soccer field and having played in the last two state championship games for the Lady Saints soccer team. Her inspiration in it all, whether on the field or on the court, comes from her family. They constantly push her harder, and her brother Noah, also a former standout at NSA, is a special inspiration.

If Giles keeps up her pace on the court, the best things are ahead of her as she hopes to be the best she can for her team, which could lead to All-Conference and All-State selections and maybe even a Player of the Year award. She will likely surpass 1,000 career points, as she needs fewer than 100 points to achieve it.

Giles committed to Christopher Newport University to play basketball next year.