Suffolk News-Herald

Just when it seemed like it was more of the same for the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy girls volleyball team Wednesday evening, the Lady Saints turned things around.

On its home court, Norfolk Collegiate, which had narrowly defeated the Lady Saints twice during the regular season, took the first game 25-18. NSA put up a stronger fight in the next game, but was edged at the end, 25-22.

That’s when things started to turn. The Lady Saints fired things up for game three, winning 25-19. It seemed that they might push things to a fifth game, but NC managed to tie the score at 24.

No matter. The Suffolk girls buckled down, smacked over two quick points, and pushed things to a deciding game. It would turn out to be one of the most tension-filled in school history.

The score tied at 14 (fifth games only go to 15 points, though someone must still win by two). Then it tied at 15. Then 16, 17, and 18.

Finally, NSA made their third try a charm. They hammered out a pair of point to score the upset, 20-18, and advance to the semifinals of the TCIS tourney, where they haven’t been since 2001-02. The Lady Saints will battle top-ranked Walsingham today at Catholic. Ellen Giermak led the Lady Saints with 14 kills, while Kristin Nuckles had 10 and Michelle Boucher and Minka Foster eight each.

Unfortunately for the NSA boys, the fate of fighting hard and falling in the end came to see them at Catholic, where the Crusaders defeated the Saints 26-24, 25-17, 25-19 in the first round of the tournament.