A season of unprecedented success for Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s girls’ lacrosse team recently came to a close in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II state semifinals.

After winning their first state playoff game in school history, the Lady Saints fell 20-10 to Highland School at Randolph-Macon College.

“I think that the nerves really got to us,” NSA coach Olivia White said, and the nerves led to some miscues on defense.

Highland struck quickly, with multiple goals inside the first six minutes of the game.

While the teams appeared evenly matched for the rest of the contest, “it was hard to fight back after the first couple of minutes,” White said.

But the Lady Saints had standouts nonetheless.

“Holly Kozak is one of our midfielders, and she’s a senior, and she really stepped up to the plate when we were getting down on ourselves,” White said.

Kozak and fellow senior Sarah Higinbotham contributed four goals apiece, while senior Jessie Lerner added two goals.

Senior Lizzy Fowler had 12 saves in goal.

White also highlighted senior Olivia Elliott in the Lady Saints’ low attack.

“She really attacked the ball and got us possession in some crucial points,” the coach said.

In the VISAA Division II state quarterfinals, Nansemond-Suffolk defeated visiting Norfolk Collegiate School 10-7 for the first state-level girls’ lacrosse win in NSA history.

Lerner contributed four goals and two assists, Kozak had four goals, and Elliott and Higinbotham each had one. Fowler recorded 12 saves.

The Lady Saints finished the year with a 9-8 overall record.

There was a huge discrepancy in age on Nansemond-Suffolk’s roster this year, with six seniors, one junior and eight eighth-graders, but White saw a squad that could work together to achieve success.

“I just knew the whole season that the senior girls had a ton of heart, and the eighth-grade girls had a huge desire to please,” the coach said.

She noted her biggest takeaway from the season is the heart and soul that her players poured into the game of lacrosse.